Britain’s far-right nationalist party UKip holds its annual political conference in Torquay this weekend seemingly on the crest of a wave. It has obtained its primary policy objective, getting Britons to vote for Brexit, yet it is in disarray.<br /><br />Conference will decide on the party’s fourth leader in the last 12 months. Nigel Farage took it to triumph, yet now lends his support to similar politicians elsewehere. <br /><br />He made a campaign appearance during the German elections with the far-right AfD, which surged to 12.5% support, entering parliament.<br /><br />Yet it, like UKip, as soon as it got close to power, saw divisions surface.<br /><br />The morning after the AfD’s stunning electoral performance its leaders lined up exultant, only for co-founder Frauke Petry, the highest-profile member, to break ranks and walk out, saying she would not sit with the party’s parliamentary group.<br /><br />Europe’s far-right is riven by factionalism, between those who want to engage with 21st century issues and those still fighting old battles.<br /><br />It has been a similar story in France, where leader Marine Le Pen at the head of Europe’s strongest far-right party, has lost her right-hand man Florian Philippot. He encouraged her to pursue a more anti-EU, nationalist line<br />rather than tolerate overt racism and attack migrants and minorities in the presidential elections.<br /><br />The party old guard deemed this a failure, and Philippot’s head rolled. Marine seems safe for now, but there is uproar behind the scenes.<br />
