Brexit: Nigel Farage is now defending the Benn Act and no one knows what to believe anymore

Nigel Farage has made a bizarre U-turn on a Brexit extension and is angry at the EU because it is “overriding" the act that would force another delay.

The Brexit Party leader has always opposed any delay to leaving the EU but has changed his mind after Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said MPs would not get a delay if they reject Boris Johnson’s new deal.

That is apparently unacceptable to Farage, who looks like he would rather complain about the EU than actually leave it.

If you want to be generous to Farage, you could argue that he has been backing a no-deal Brexit and therefore any deal is a bad option in his opinion.

But Juncker’s comments suggest that if MPs vote down Johnson’s deal, he would recommend kicking the UK out of the EU with no deal – which is exactly what Farage wants…

One answer for the U-turn could be that Farage needs a new way to attack Johnson now that the prime minister has got a Brexit deal.

Or maybe he’s just gone insane and is a #FBPE Remainer now…

Whatever the answer is, the former Ukip leader was being ruthlessly mocked on social media for his tweet.

And in a moment of Shakespearean tragedy, the former king of Brexit was even facing attacks from his fellow Brexiteers yesterday.

The other important point about Farage’s tweet is that it’s not even accurate as the EU would not be overriding the Benn Act by rejecting an extension request.

That’s because the act only requires the prime minster to ask the EU for an extension - it does not force the EU to accept one because the UK government cannot force the EU to do something.

So why is Farage so wound up about this Brexit deal?

Some people on social media have suggested it’s because he’s realised that once Brexit happens, he’ll suddenly become politically irrelevant again.