Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has come under intense scrutiny for his comments surrounding the recent stabbings in Southport, which sparked riots across England.
Despite widespread criticism, Farage has doubled down on his controversial claims, insisting that authorities are withholding vital information.
The violent unrest that erupted following the murders of three girls has led to the arrest of nearly 500 individuals.
Much of the anger was fueled by false information circulating on social media about the suspect’s identity and religion.
Farage, however, continues to argue that a lack of transparency from officials exacerbated the riots. Speaking on Thursday, Farage reiterated his concerns.
“What I did sense after those horrific murders was we weren’t being told anything. We had a lot of, I saw it as you did, ‘he arrived on a boat across the Channel last October, he was a Muslim activist, etc.’ And I said, can you tell us, was this man on a watch list? Yes or no. Remember the London Bridge attacks, within an hour of the attack we knew the man had been on a watch list.”
Nigel Farage
Farage went on to claim that the delay in clarifying the suspect’s background contributed to the violence that followed, including the targeting of a mosque in Southport.
“One of the reasons the Southport riots were as bad as they were, one of the reasons the mosque itself was targeted was because the authorities didn’t tell us quickly enough what the truth was. We then learnt a few hours later he was born in Cardiff and actually he wasn’t a radical Islamist at all. But my question about whether he was on a watch list still hasn’t been answered.”
Nigel Farage
Reform UK Leader’s Popularity Takes A Dive
Amid this controversy, Farage’s popularity has taken a significant hit. New polling from YouGov reveals that his net favorability has plummeted by seven points in less than a week, from -35 to -42.
The poll also shows that 67 percent of Britons now have an unfavorable view of the Reform UK leader, with only 25 percent holding a favorable opinion.
Farage’s support has also waned among Leave voters, a demographic that has typically been a stronghold for him, with his favorability now at -4, down from 7 points the previous week.
In response to the unrest, a protest is scheduled to take place outside Reform UK’s headquarters on Saturday. The organizers accuse Farage of “inciting and making excuses for racist and fascist rioters,” and have called on the public to join them in a “National Day of Protest against the far right.”
Farage, however, has dismissed the planned demonstration as “absolutely disgusting, inciteful behavior.”
He has also been offered additional security by the Home Office due to escalating threats against him.
During the general election campaign, Farage was targeted in several incidents, including having objects thrown at him while on a campaign bus in South Yorkshire and being doused with a milkshake in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
When questioned about the accusations of inciting violence, Farage strongly denied any wrongdoing.
“Some of what’s been said is absolutely disgusting. It’s cowardly, it’s unjust. I’ve been fighting elections for 30 years because I believe in the democratic process. I’ve never at any point in those 30 years been involved in violence, been involved in street protest. Been involved in any of those things.”
Nigel Farage
The controversy surrounding Farage’s remarks has also drawn criticism from Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox. In a scathing comment, Cox accused Farage of “inciting a riot” and “peddling conspiracy theories.”
He added, “This is why Farage deserves the label far-right. Everyone who is associated with him has normalized him or promoted him should be ashamed. This is vile.”
As the fallout from Farage’s comments continues, the Reform UK leader finds himself increasingly isolated, with his once solid support base showing signs of erosion.
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