Mr Farage was called a ‘game-changer’ by the paper (Picture: Getty Images)

Ukip’s charismatic beer-swigging leader, Nigel Farage, has been named ‘Briton of the Year’ by The Times after an unforgettable 12 months that saw his party emerge as a mainstream political force.

The man dubbed ‘Teflon Nigel’ by his colleagues (‘because criticism doesn’t stick’) has watched his eurosceptic party grow in stature over the past year, winning the European Parliament elections in June before waging a guerilla war on the political establishment that saw the defections and subsequent by-election wins of MPs Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless.

And the ‘game-changing’ Mr Farage was named ‘Briton of the Year’ by The Times, who said that traditional parties had ‘not been able to ignore’ the rise of Ukip, who had ‘broken into the mainstream’.



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Despite all, The Times has named me Briton of the year. Attacks aside, I am grateful. Thank you. http://t.co/6gqGvjoPVL — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) December 26, 2014

‘No one did more to shape British politics in 2014,’ it read.

‘For good and ill he is therefore The Times Briton of the Year.’

Mr Farage took to his Twitter to thank the paper for the accolade, writing: ‘Attacks aside, I am grateful. Thank you.’

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If Nigel Farage is @thetimes Briton of the Year, then frankly I'm embarrassed to be British. — Danielle. (@_daniellewh) December 27, 2014

What makes Mr Farage’s success more remarkable are the scandals his party have endured, from sexual harassment claims to allegations of homophobia and racism.

Not everyone agreed with The Times.

One user wrote on Twitter that they were ’embarrassed to be British’ while others put forward ‘murdered aid worker Alan Henning’ and ‘Ebola survivor Will Pooley’ as candidates they deemed more suitable.