
If you're in need of a spot of light relief from the unrelenting news cycle, then look no further, because Gavin Esler of Change UK has revealed that he's named his pet dog 'Farage', after Nigel Farage of the Brexit Party.
Yes, you read that correctly. Oh, the comedy genius.
Former BBC correspondent Gavin Esler announced that he'd be standing for Change UK: The Independent Group, the 'anti-Brexit party', in the European elections earlier in April.
Speaking at the party's first rally today in London, Esler revealed that he'd renamed his pet dog after Nigel Farage because:
It won’t go out in the rain, it won’t clean up its mess behind him.
Delightful stuff.
Sebastian Payne, the Financial Times' Whitehall Correspondent, shared the news with his followers on Twitter, where the jokes soon began to write themselves.
.@gavinesler says he’s named his dog “Farage” because “it won’t go out in the rain, it won’t clean up its mess behind him”— Sebastian Payne (@Sebastian Payne) 1556626974
Some wondered if he hated his dog or loved Nigel Farage.
So does he hate his dog or love Nigel Farage? https://t.co/GLOJssKFbV— Dia Chakravarty (@Dia Chakravarty) 1556627564
Others asked him to just make the whole thing stop.
Please make it stop. https://t.co/hgOuvC0de0— Mark Wallace (@Mark Wallace) 1556627122
The odd person thought it was an example of Brexit Derangement syndrome.
The Brexit Derangement Syndrome is strong with this one. https://t.co/2z1iBvTzHY— Sir Gammon Army (@Sir Gammon Army) 1556627667
And was quite offended.
Others thought the entire thing was rather hilarious.
😂😂 https://t.co/RmKRmY2TDX— Mila Zeidler (@Mila Zeidler) 1556628366
And most picked up on the candidate's reasons for choosing the name 'Farage'.
Gavin Esler says he has called his dog “Farage” as it won’t go out in the rain and makes a mess for other people to clear up.— Adam Bienkov (@Adam Bienkov) 1556626982
Change UK’s @gavinesler says he’s nicknamed his dog “Farage” as it leaves a mess behind it, and someone else has to… https://t.co/E55Jc0hxWs— Ashley Cowburn (@Ashley Cowburn) 1556627013
Incidentally, this isn't the first time that the novelist-cum-politician has suggested re-naming his pooch after the right-wing beer-slugging head of the Brexit Party.
In March, he tweeted:
Maybe I should re-name our dog “Farage” because he barks a lot but won’t go for a walk in the rain.
Maybe I should re-name our dog “Farage” because he barks a lot but won’t go for a walk in the rain. https://t.co/OVGcyGFAsY— Gavin Esler (@Gavin Esler) 1552929674
It looks like the idea has finally come to fruition. We wonder if the dog's bark is worse than its bite?
More: Five times Guy Verhofstadt has taken aim at Nigel Farage
More: Nigel Farage refuses to reveal ‘one big donation’ to Brexit Party and people are suspicious
