This is one of those hilarious, discomfiting political surprises that a smugly confident opposition doesn't see coming out of the woodwork and it is shaping up to be pretty daggum interesting.

For the past year, the Tories in the United Kingdom have done their level best to prove they were utterly and completely inept, and needed to be booted after 10 years in power, whatever frightening, over-the-top Labour policies loomed as alternatives. The sagging British ship of state was in such appalling bad shape and its citizens so thoroughly beaten down from half-baked management, ministerial upheavals, and economic blow after blow, that Labour's lunacies - the only viable alternative at the time - were at least a known poison pill to be spat at and out once weak sister Rishi Sunak had vacated the Prime Minister's residence.

Sunak made sure he would go out in flames, too. Extraordinary hard feelings have been developing over native British being cast aside for floods of illegal foreign immigrants - from grandparents having their houses declared "derelict" in order to be seized for migrant homes...

...to over half a year of hate-filled Hamasholes taking over London every weekend and defiling monuments sacred to the British nation psyche.

It is so refreshing to see British flags waving in London after 7 months of Palestine, Hamas and Hezbollah flag.

British Patriots march with Tommy Robinson to uphold British values. pic.twitter.com/bm4NQlvD5O

— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) June 1, 2024

Sunak, besides making appropriate woke mewling noises, piled on one last insult at the Normandy 80th D-Day commemorative ceremonies.

He skipped out early to head home so he wouldn't miss a very important...campaign TV interview.

It is the "optics" of this that matter. All politicians are expected to attend these events. The fact that we don't have political freedom, that the UK is unrecognisable today isn't lost on the veterans, but they still honour those who died for a country that was given away.

— Russell White (Leader: Populist Party) (@Russell63573258) June 7, 2024

At least POTATUS had a diaper change for a legitimate excuse.

That was the last political "catastrophe" anyone could stomach out of the Tory leader, and Labour surged ahead. Sir Keir Starmer watched his opposition self-liquify like the Wicked Witch after a bucket of water.

Catbird seat, baby.

...YouGov’s first MRP constituency projection...showed Keir Starmer could win a 194 majority, bigger even than Tony Blair’s 179 majority in 1997.

It put Labour on 422 seats (+222 from the 2019 election, based on new constituency boundaries), the Tories on 140 (-232), the Lib Dems on 48 (+40) and the SNP on 17 (-31).

Until a week and a half ago, when this happened. Nigel Farage took a day off, a "normal day," he said. 

And then bogeyman came to town for Tories and Labour.

In ten days' time - just ten days - Farage's reentry into politics has catapulted his Reform Party (which is freestanding with no Tory connection this time) into the national spotlight. 

Tories were the first to be sweating bullets.

...One senior Tory described Farage’s return as an “existential” risk.

At a news conference in central London, the rightwinger said that he had witnessed “a rejection of the political class” across the country in a way that had not been seen in modern times and that he wanted to lead a “political revolt”.

He also sought to portray Reform UK’s surge as part of what he described as “a new phenomenon” ahead of elections this weekend to the European parliament, when parties of the far right are expected to do well. “I promise you something is happening out there,” he said.

His decision will mean the debate about immigration will become even more prominent during the campaign.

Quaking in their boots. Farage is merciless.

Good morning @RishiSunak. pic.twitter.com/xXagHHH2AT

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 14, 2024

As David outlined this morning? 

Fewer than ten days after Nigel Farage entered the race for MP as the leader of the Reform UK Party, Reform now leads the Tories for second place in polling in England. Farage, you have to admit, is a shockingly good politician. 

Labour has to be wondering what hit their progressive march to the top.

A cheerful, indefatigable campaigner with a monkey mug grin who is rapidly becoming even a bigger media star than he was during Brexit, that's who.

Worse for Labour, young voters are eating him up.

Farage is absolutely killing it on TikTok. So many fan edits of him, and his actual account has 662k followers, more than double the combined total for Labour (198k), Tories (61k), Greens (40k), and LibDems (21k).

Something is definitely happening out there... pic.twitter.com/4OjFHEybXF

— Mike Diplockre (@MikeDiplockre) June 14, 2024

UH-OH

This has over a million views on TikTok pic.twitter.com/ZUZlGaiExf

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) June 14, 2024

BOLDNESS

Immigration advocates are going to have a hard time not sounding like complete idiots when they go up against him for things they've been doing that the British people might not even be aware of.

Like...you get to bring your Mum with you if, as a foreigner, you go to university in the UK?

If you come to University in Britain, you can’t just bring your Mum with you. pic.twitter.com/ZRkSk5bKqN

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 14, 2024

CODSWALLOP

He handled everyone beautifully on the debate stage, ruthlessly eviscerating opposition talking points with hard data and wicked humor. 

In only a week and a half, Farage's star power, social media acumen, and message have brought his party to the point where it, not the Tories, is the Number Two party in the UK. As he makes clear, the only wasted vote in the elections is one for the Conservatives. 

Reform Party UK is the "other choice," and Labour should be very worried that there suddenly is an alternative for voters with so stark a difference between them.

I’ve just been for a drink with a lady who’s voted Labour all her life.
But she won’t be voting for Starmer.
Her main concern is unchecked immigration, which she feels has changed our country beyond recognition and will worsen under Labour.
She will be voting @reformparty_uk…

— FreeByTheSea (@Free_ByTheSea) June 13, 2024

The BBC is also helping Farage's case by insisting he has no seat at the table for their 26 June debate. It gives Farage one more target to plink at, which only works to his advantage.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are taking part in a BBC debate on 26th June.

As we are now ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, I demand that Reform UK is a part of this debate.

If the BBC want a fight with me on this, they can have one.

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 14, 2024

Should the polling continue in a positive direction or even pick up significantly, to the point where he becomes more than a terrier nipping at Labour's heels, but someone actually with teeth on the edge of their soup bone, it will be awfully interesting to see what sort of adjustments Starmer makes in response.

Or if he responds at all.

In any event, as long as Farage is a campaign player, Starmer, Sunak, and the British press will be having public conversations about things they hadn't planned to and answering uncomfortable questions for which they'd better have good answers.

Makes me all giggity just thinking about it.