Official UK Parliament Portrait, 2024
Nigel Farage: A Biography
From City trader to Brexit architect to Reform UK leader — the political journey of Britain's most consequential populist politician.
Early Life
Nigel Paul Farage was born on 3 April 1964 in Farnborough, Kent, England. The son of a stockbroker, he was educated at Dulwich College, a prestigious independent school in south London.
After leaving school in 1982, Farage chose not to attend university and instead followed his father into the City of London, becoming a commodities trader. He worked in the metals exchange, trading gold, silver, and other precious metals.
Early Political Career
Farage joined the Conservative Party in 1978 at age 14, but left in 1992 in protest at the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, which he viewed as a fundamental surrender of British sovereignty to the European Union.
In 1993, Farage became a founding member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), a Eurosceptic political party dedicated to withdrawing Britain from the EU.
European Parliament Years
MEP Farage at the European Parliament, Strasbourg
Farage was elected to the European Parliament in 1999 as an MEP for South East England, a position he would hold until Brexit was completed. Known for his fiery speeches criticising the EU and its leadership, he became one of the most recognisable faces of British Euroscepticism.
His confrontational style in Brussels made headlines worldwide, particularly his clashes with EU Presidents and his characterisation of the European Parliament as undemocratic.
UKIP Leadership
Farage served as UKIP leader from 2006-2009 and again from 2010-2016. Under his leadership, the party grew from a fringe movement to a major political force, winning the European elections in 2014 with 27.5% of the vote—the first time a party other than Labour or Conservative had won a national election in over a century.
Brexit Campaign
Farage campaigning for Brexit, 2016
Farage was a central figure in the 2016 EU referendum campaign, leading the Leave.EU campaign alongside Arron Banks. His "Breaking Point" poster showing refugees became one of the most controversial images of the campaign.
When the referendum resulted in a 52-48% vote to leave the EU, Farage declared it "Independence Day" for Britain. He resigned as UKIP leader shortly after, stating his political ambition had been achieved.
Brexit Party & Reform UK
When the Brexit process stalled under Theresa May's government, Farage returned to politics in 2019, founding the Brexit Party. The new party won the European elections just six weeks after its formation.
After Brexit was completed in 2020, the Brexit Party rebranded as Reform UK in 2021, pivoting to a broader anti-establishment, populist platform.
MP for Clacton
In the House of Commons, 2024
After seven failed attempts to win a Westminster seat, Farage was finally elected as MP for Clacton in the 2024 general election. Reform UK won five seats and over 4 million votes nationally.
Farage became Leader of Reform UK and stated his intention to make the party a serious contender for government. By 2025, Reform UK was consistently leading national opinion polls.
Reform UK MPs in the House of Commons
Personal Life
Farage has been married twice and has four children. He survived a plane crash on election day 2010 when the light aircraft he was in got caught in a UKIP banner and crashed, leaving him with spinal injuries.
Known for his love of pubs, pints, and cigarettes, Farage has cultivated an image as a "man of the people" in contrast to what he characterises as establishment politicians.