30 June 2024 , 18:22
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Reform UK leader echoes Donald Trump in response to claim hostile state actors are backing his party
Nigel Farage has angrily denied he is “fanning the flames of prejudice” to further his political ambitions, as he doubled down on claims Reform UK had been “set up” by an exposé of racism and prejudice among activists.
He was also confronted about a report in the Sunday Times – which the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, said he was “gravely” concerned about – that there is a threat to the general election from hostile actors such as Russia seeking to influence the democratic process.
Utterly untrue’: Farage denies accusation of ’fanning the flames of prejudice’ – video
Dowden’s comments came in response to claims from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that it had uncovered a suspected operation encouraging support for Farage’s Reform UK party, after monitoring five coordinated Facebook pages.
“There is a threat in all elections, and indeed we see it in this election from hostile state actors seeking to influence the outcome of the election campaign,” said Dowden. Farage described the claims as “cobblers”, echoing the words of Donald Trump by telling Sky News: “This is the Russia hoax.”
Vladimir Putin ’I ♡ Nigel’ banner lowered by protesters during Farage campaign event – video
Farage later addressed Reform UK’s biggest campaign rally of the election, where he told thousands of supporters at Birmingham’s NEC that recent days “had been tough”.
The rally was addressed by Zia Yusuf, a Muslim entrepreneur who donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to the party. Farage added that attendees included Arron Banks, a former Ukip donor who gave £8m to the unofficial Brexit campaign.
The event came a day after another in Walton-on-the-Naze – part of the Clacton constituency where Farage is running in the general election – was overshadowed when political activists managed to get a banner with Vladimir Putin’s face on it lowered behind the Reform leader as he addressed an audience.
“Who put that up there?” asked Farage amid laughter from others at the banner, which featured the Russian leader giving a thumbs-up above the words: ‘I ♡ Nigel.’ Farage has been criticised over comments that the west provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and his description of Putin as “a strong leader who believes in his own nation”.
The stunt was claimed by the campaign group Led by Donkeys, which has used satire to oppose Brexit and rightwing politicians.
However, Reform continues to face pressure over its general election candidates. It confirmed on Saturday that it has dropped support for its candidates Leslie Lilley in Southend East and Rochford, Edward Oakenfull in Derbyshire Dales, and Robert Lomas in Barnsley North. Farage was challenged on BBC Question Time about comments made by the three candidates.
Earlier on Sunday, Farage had bristled when the Sky News presenter, Trevor Phillips, said he did not believe he was racist but was doing “something much worse” by “fanning the flames of prejudice to further his political goals”.
“That is totally and utterly untrue … you damn well know that, having known me for 25 years,” said Farage, who is boycotting the BBC after accusing the broadcaster of bias over his reception on Friday night’s Question Time.
Farage also repeated his claim that a Reform UK canvasser who called for Channel migrants to be used as “target practice” was an actor. Channel 4 News has stood by its undercover investigation in which the canvasser was filmed, saying its journalists met him for the first time at Reform UK’s offices in Clacton.
“I was there working in the office in Essex when he turned up and he was, from the moment he walked through the room, like a version of Alf Garnett,” Farage told Sky News. Garnett was a character from the 1960s sitcom Till Death Us Do Part who used racist slurs.
Farage also said that people who had been attracted by the British National party (BNP) would gravitate in the direction of his party because they no longer had a home to go to.
“Ironically, destroying the BNP means people who are minded that way don’t any longer have a home to go to, and so some will gravitate in our direction and [when] we find out who they are they’ll be gone.”