Peak Farage and ‘Automated’ Clickers

CSM EDITORIAL The latest spat between the Tories and Reform over the alleged automated membership counter on Reform’s website misses the key issue: party membership numbers do not directly correlate with election success. In the last decade, Jeremy Corbyn famously spiked Labour’s party membership. The number of full members moved from 190,000 in May 2015 to 515,000 in July 2016 – an influx of 325,000 new … Continue reading Peak Farage and ‘Automated’ Clickers

countrysquiremagazineDecember 28, 2024December 28, 2024

Politics

The Trouble with Trainers

BY STEWART SLATER Every so often the world gives you a sign. A portent that it is all about to go wrong. The ravens leave the Tower. The dead rise from the grave. Nigel Farage pairs trainers with a suit. For, whatever you think of Nige, whether, to you, he is a gammony agitator or a patriotic freedom fighter, you must admit that he is … Continue reading The Trouble with Trainers

countrysquiremagazineMay 1, 2024April 29, 2024

Politics

Double Standards as a Symptom

BY ALEX STORY “Farage is a pygmy” wrote Will Hutton in a tweet a few days before Dame Alison Rose resigned from her post as CEO of NatWest, the partially state-owned British bank. A few days later, she resigned, admitting she was the source of an inaccurate briefing about Nigel Farage’s finances to the media. Her position was untenable. She broke client confidentiality, smeared one of … Continue reading Double Standards as a Symptom

countrysquiremagazineJuly 31, 2023July 31, 2023

Opinion

In Defence of Coutts

BY STEWART SLATER One of the more depressing discoveries of the post-pandemic era, for those of a libertarian/classical liberal/Thatcherite persuasion, has been the innate authoritarianism of the British public. The pandemic revealed that large swathes of the population were more than happy to restrict the freedom of their fellows, and many wished to carry on doing so – 25% of poll respondents wanted to close … Continue reading In Defence of Coutts

countrysquiremagazineJuly 21, 2023

Politics

The Once & Future PM?

BY STEWART SLATER Right, deep breath. Firstly, are you OK? It feels strange. I imagine a lot of you have been feeling like I have – shaken, troubled, let down, full of questions. I refer, of course, not to the nation’s favourite silver-haired gopher-botherer (and if you are upset about him, I suggest you grow up), but to its blond-haired feather-ruffler, Boris Johnson. For, as … Continue reading The Once & Future PM?

countrysquiremagazineJune 12, 2023June 13, 2023

Politics

Nicola & Nigel: A Tale of Two Politicians

BY STEWART SLATER That all political careers end in failure is a truism. And, like all truisms, it is not always true – there is little reasonable doubt that both Obama and Clinton would have won re-election if America permitted Presidents to serve more than two terms. But as a rule of thumb, it holds up reasonably well. Just ask Liz Truss, Theresa May, David … Continue reading Nicola & Nigel: A Tale of Two Politicians

countrysquiremagazineFebruary 17, 2023February 16, 2023

Exclusive, Politics

Farage a Racist? Really?

There are plenty of social media users who associate Nigel Farage with racism. A quick search on Twitter soon identifies the accusers: Which makes the following footage – exclusive to CSM – very interesting indeed. In the first video (below), Nigel Farage is seen at a UKIP dinner and he’s making crystal clear to the then leadership of the party under Gerard Batten that the … Continue reading Farage a Racist? Really?

countrysquiremagazineAugust 21, 2021August 21, 2021

Politics

Keeping Tories Conservative

BY FRANK HAVILAND Not since Margaret Thatcher has Britain had a Conservative Government in anything other than name. John Major was too busy ‘putting Britain at the heart of Europe’, David Cameron obsessed with gay marriage; and while Theresa May parroted ‘Brexit means Brexit’, she did a spirited impression of not knowing what it meant. For Boris Johnson, God only knows what conservatism means. Still, … Continue reading Keeping Tories Conservative

countrysquiremagazineAugust 14, 20201 Comment

brexit

Boris’ Tightrope

BY DAVID EYLES What happens if Boris Johnson gets to an election pre-Brexit without a pact with the Brexit Party? Or succumbs to agreeing a reheated May withdrawal agreement with the EU? Taking Cornwall as a microcosm, there are six Tory MP’s whose seats would be up for grabs with majorities ranging from 312 to over 17,000: The above model shows what happens with a … Continue reading Boris’ Tightrope

countrysquiremagazineSeptember 9, 2019September 8, 2019

editorial

The Brexit Party Warning Shot

CSM EDITORIAL The announcement by Nigel Farage that his Brexit Party is now a viable choice for the next European Elections in May – should it need to be used – is key. Should there be any significant delay to Brexit – and the European elections be fought by UK politicians (let’s hope not) – then the Tories and Labour can expect to lose most … Continue reading The Brexit Party Warning Shot

countrysquiremagazineFebruary 11, 2019February 12, 2019

editorial

Project Fear Bingo

CSM EDITORIAL Welcome back, Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine. No doubt You had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed a break from Brexit, nightmares about Corbyn gulags and the nonsense of identity politics. Christmas waves a magic wand over this part of the world, and behold, everything seems calmer and more doable. It took the BBC a while to get going after Christmas with its … Continue reading Project Fear Bingo

countrysquiremagazineJanuary 7, 2019January 6, 2019

Interviews, Politics

UKIP & Ernie

When Country Squire’s Dominic Wightman arrives in deepest Herefordshire at Ernie Warrender’s sprawling country house in the middle of nowhere, he’s met by Ernie holding a high-power blowtorch. For a moment Dominic considers turning his car around. However, after meeting Ernie, Dominic soon changes his mind. “Come on in,” says the affable Mr Warrender with a huge smile as he welcomes the Country Squire … Continue reading UKIP & Ernie

countrysquiremagazineNovember 14, 2017April 3, 2025

International, Politics

Farage & The Angry Bird

BY JAMIE FOSTER Sometimes one wonders if losing candidates in elections would be better off remaining silent about why they thought they lost rather than speaking out and sounding bitter. Hillary Clinton in her interview with the Sunday Times this week decided to speak out and has confirmed if nothing else that she is out of touch with the voters she was trying to inspire. She … Continue reading Farage & The Angry Bird

countrysquiremagazineOctober 11, 2017October 10, 2017

editorial, Politics

Goodbye UKIP, Hello BNP?

CSM EDITORIAL As a Tory-supporting magazine, perhaps it is not our place to comment on the leadership contest of another party. Nonetheless, when your friend smells, it is the right thing for a Country Squire to do to offer them a bath, a change of clothes and a quick spray of one’s Penhaligon’s deodorant. Right now, UKIP – the successful force behind Brexit – is … Continue reading Goodbye UKIP, Hello BNP?

countrysquiremagazineAugust 21, 2017August 20, 2017Leave a comment

Politics

The Farage Overreaction

BY SAM WHITE I don’t know what to call them anymore. Progressives? Obviously not. Liberals? I sense no liberalism in their approach to dissent. Regressive left? Control left? However you refer to them, the response of some parts of the left wing to Monday’s horrific events in Berlin and Ankara was remarkable. Try Labour MP Jess Phillips’ Twitter timeline. You’ll find that quite some effort … Continue reading The Farage Overreaction

countrysquiremagazineDecember 21, 2016December 21, 201610 Comments