Star comment: Ukip may need Nigel to survive

Mr Farage is dancing around the idea of once more taking the helm of Ukip, which has been rudderless after his departure in its hour of triumph. Being leader of Ukip at the moment is a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Mr Farage is not ruling it out, but on balance would prefer not to have the role.

Yet going back to Nigel might be Ukip's last hope. A consummate media performer who can hold his own and more in verbal combat with the heavy hitters of the major parties, he might – just might – be able to do something to revive the fortunes of a party which, if it has not quite lost the collective will to live, has lost the collective will of voters to give it life.

Mr Farage’s exclusive interview with the Star offers his interesting take on things. The hard-won Brexit vote, for which his years of lonely campaigning in defiance of those who would crush his right to criticise the prevailing establishment orthodoxy that the UK’s membership of the European Union was a good thing, now faces being watered down, according to Mr Farage.

In his view Theresa May’s failed election gamble has re-energised those, including many of her own MPs, who have never signed up to Brexit. The immigration debate has, he says, almost disappeared from view.

Having called the election to strengthen her hand over Brexit, it is hard to see the result as doing anything other than weakening Mrs May’s hand, with the result that there will have to be some compromises. This is already happening, with talk of there being transitional arrangements, which would drag out the process of leaving the exit door over several years.

Can Mr Farage stand back and watch what he will consider a betrayal without doing anything? Could he do anything?

Ukip is demonstrating the characteristics of an obsolete product. In its day, it was influential, and its capacity to win votes made David Cameron, for one, sweat. None of the major parties are sweating about Ukip now. It was more or less wiped out in the general election. With both the major parties committed to Brexit, Ukip has lost the unique position it once held when all the major parties were committed to EU membership.

Mr Farage thinks if there is any Brexit backsliding there could be a big role for Ukip in a couple of years. For a party which looks to be on life support, two years is an awfully long time.