The prime minister said his two daughters should not have to hear racist insults being hurled at their father.
Advertisement
An undercover reporter for Channel 4 News secretly filmed Reform supporter Andrew Parker saying: “I’ve always been a Tory voter, but what annoys me is that fucking P*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. Fucking useless.”
Reacting today, a clearly-emotional Sunak said: “When my two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an ‘effing P***’ it hurts and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer.
“And I don’t repeat those words lightly, I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out for what it is.”
Channel 4 have also denied claims that Parker is an actor who was paid to be in the video.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stoked the conspiracy with a post on X.
Andrew Parker was the man that made the astonishing racist comments that have given us so much negative coverage.
We now learn that he is an actor by profession.
His own website says he is ‘well spoken’ but from the moment he arrived in Clacton he was doing what he calls…
But a Channel 4 spokesperson said: “We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself.
“We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser.
“We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report. Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.”
Parker himself told the Press Association that he apologised for what he had said.
“Of course I’m sorry,” he said. “They were off-the-cuff things that everyone says.”
Reform UK’s plans to cut taxes while also massively increasing public spending has been branded “deeply unserious” as the party unveiled its general election “contract” with voters.
The document – which party leader Nigel Farage refused to call a manifesto – was launched as the right-wing party threatens to torpedo any lingering chance the Tories had of staying in power.
Advertisement
It included plans to boost public spending by £141 billion a year – many times more than either Labour or the Conservatives have proposed – while at the same time cutting taxes by £70 billion.
Other pledges include scrapping the UK’s net zero commitments, pulling the country out of the European Convention on Human Rights and freezing “non-essential” immigration.
But at the launch of the 26-page document in Merthyr Tydfil, Farage endured a rough ride from sceptical political journalists who queried.
The BBC’s Alex Forsyth said: “You’ve talked about the costings, you’ve talked about the spendings, but some of the stuff in here – a freeze on immigration, NHS waiting lists down to zero, more police officers.
Advertisement
“You accuse other parties of broken promises, but isn’t this a list of unrealistic promises – wish-list rather than a serious plan? Aren’t you doing what you accuse others of, which is chucking out a load of things which sound popular in the hope you get votes, that you never plan to deliver on?”
Farage replied: “It is a promise that this is what we’re going to campaign for over the course of the next five years.”
He said that Reform UK would not win the election, but would be “a voice of opposition to Labour” in the Commons.
“We’ve laid out very clearly where we stand philosophically, ideologically, on a number of things and this is what we’re going to fight for,” Farage added. “I see no inconsistency with that whatsoever.”
Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates told Farage: “In your contract, your proposing to spend an extra £141 billion every year. That’s about 30 times the amount that Labour say they’re going to spend, 10 times the amount of the Tories and about three times what Liz Truss spent.
Advertisement
“You did say you weren’t going to win the next election, but the scale of this – it’s deeply unserious, isn’t it?”
Farage replied: “That’s right, it’s radical, it’s fresh thinking, it’s outside the box, it’s not what you’re going to get with the current Labour and Conservative parties, who are virtually indistinguishable from each other.
“Is this radical, fresh thinking on economics? Yes. Is it radical, fresh thinking on constitutional change? Yes. Is it very radical change on the way our education system is currently bringing up our young children? Yes.
“Britain is broken, Britain needs reform. That’s what we’re here for, that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re unashamedly radical – we want change.”
But on BBC1 this morning, Laura Kuenssberg said viewers “might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage”.
Advertisement
Farage insisted he was referring to the PM’s “class and privilege”.
But work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said Farage’s remarks were “deeply regrettable”.
In their interview, Kuenssberg told Farage: “I want to ask you about the prime minister’s early exit from the D-Day commemoration this week.
“After that, you said that he wasn’t patriotic and you said that Rishi Sunak didn’t understand our history and our culture’. What did you mean by that?”
Farage replied: “Absolutely right. He should have known in his heart that it was right to be there. I was there, I’ve been raising money for some weeks to send veterans back to Normandy.
“The vast majority of people in Britain felt this commemoration was important, and the last opportunity to honour those remnants that are still alive.
Advertisement
“By the way, I know what your question is leading at. Forty per cent of our contribution in World War One and World War Two came from the Commonwelath. He is utterly disconnected by class, by privilege, from how the ordinary folk in this country feel.
“He revealed that, I think spectacularly, when he left Normandy early.”
Laura: “But Mr Farage, when you say ‘our culture’, I think many of our viewers might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage.”
Farage replied: “I just made the point, 40% of our contribution in two wars came from the Commonwealth. Clearly, Mr Sunak doesn’t understand that.”
Asked what he thought about Farage’s comments, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: “I think they were deeply regrettable comments. I’m not entirely sure he addressed the question you put to him as to what he meant by that.”
Advertisement
He added: “It just seems to be to be an ill-advised thing to have said. I feel very uncomfortable with that.”
Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This is a classic Nigel Farage trick – lean in just enough to signal a bit of a dog whistle and then lean back and sound perfectly reasonable and say some thing good about the contribution Commonwealth soldiers and ethnic minorities made towards the war effort.
“We can all see exactly what Nigel Farage is doing, he’s got form, it’s completely unacceptable. This is a man who has a track record of seeking to divide communities.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg has a new plan to make sure the Conservatives win the next general election – but it’s not exactly popular.
Speaking on his GB News show last night, the former cabinet minister and current backbencher announced his plan to “reunite the right” with a “big, open, comprehensive offer to those in Reform”.
Reform currently has just one MP, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Tories earlier this year shortly after resigning as the Conservative Party deputy chair.
It’s thought Reform could end up splitting the right-wing vote when the public next hit the ballot box.
So, Rees-Mogg suggested bringing famous right-wing figures back into the Conservative fold.
He said: “With the help of Nigel Farage in a Conservative government, with Boris Johnson probably returning as foreign secretary, as well [as] welcoming the likes of Ben Habib and Richard Tice into the Conservative Party.”
Advertisement
His nod to the former prime minister is no surprise, considering he served in his government.
The MP also claimed in his “Moggologue” that a truly Conservative government would then be able to look at “slashing migration”, “rolling back the disastrous green agenda” and “abolishing the Equality Act”.
He even suggested that if Farage rejoined Reform, the party would shoot up to 16% in the polls, just 5% behind the Tories – so merging the two parties together would take the Conservatives up to Labour’s current polling at just over 40 percentage points.
He said it is by doing so, “winning the next election is well within reach”.
However, the Conservative Campaign Headquarters told POLITICO’s Playbook they were “unequivocally” ruling out this idea.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called for the Tories to suspend the whip.
The party’s deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, said the Conservatives are “a shambolic mess” with MPs in “open revolt” against Sunak.
“If the Prime Minister had any bottle he would suspend the whip from Rees-Mogg and rule out Nigel Farage being allowed into the Conservative Party,” she said, and called for a general election.
Advertisement
‘With the help of Nigel Farage in a Conservative government, with Boris Johnson probably returning as Foreign Secretary as well welcoming the likes of Ben Habib and Richard Tice into the Conservative Party… winning the next election is well within reach.’@Jacob_Rees_Moggpic.twitter.com/7rqFORdEnT
There is no denying that the Conservatives’ electoral chances are currently in dire straits – polling gurus predict there is a 95-99% of a Labour victory – but people could not help but laugh at this idea…
It defies belief that JRM thinks this is a good idea. Boris was a lousy Foreign Secretary and a worse PM. Farage will alienate as many voters as he’ll win over. Very few people know or care who Ben Habib and Richard Tice are. https://t.co/LFhukJCI4a
— James Gillespie 𝕏 (@JamesGillespieX) May 15, 2024
Advertisement
The Conservative Party is going to be a bloodbath after the next election and I can’t wait to sit back and watch it. https://t.co/5NkGObdCID
The former prime minister was spotted in the background of a picture taken at the bash, which was held in a posh London restaurant.
Right-wing Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns posted the snap on X (formerly Twitter last night).
In it, she is standing alongside Farage and his Leave.EU ally Aaron Banks.
Truss, who was prime minister for 49 days before being forced to quit after her mini-Budget sparked economic chaos, can clearly be seen in the background turning towards the camera.
Speaking in February, Truss said she would like to see Farage join the Conservative Party to “help turn our country around”.
Nevertheless, it is surprising to see a former Tory PM attend a celebration being thrown for a man who has stood against the party on numerous occasions and is set to throw his weight behind Reform UK at the upcoming general election.
Her presence at the event did not go on-noticed on social media – with some users unable to resist the temptation to refer to the fact that Truss was outlasted by a lettuce during her brief stint in No.10.
Nigel Farage is threatening to eat a whole Easter egg on Sunday to stick it to “NHS luvvies” in the latest piece of performative outrage about “wokery”.
It follows Dr Andrew Kelso, the medical director of NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, advising people to “resist the urge” and not “overdo it” by eating an Easter egg in one sitting, due to the high calorie count of the chocolate.
“Many people don’t realise that an average Easter egg contains around three quarters of an adult’s recommended daily calorie intake,” Kelso wrote.
“At a time like this, when we are seeing significant increases in cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as tooth decay, I urge people to enjoy their Easter eggs in moderation and resist the urge to eat a whole one in one go.”
Predictably, the former UKIP leader defied the advice on his GB News show – eating a chocolate egg has he raged against the suggestion.
He said: “I am sick to death of being told we can’t do this, we can’t do that, it’s Easter for goodness sake.
“I’m sorry, Dr Kelso, but you really bore the pants off me, it’s Easter, I don’t eat chocolate everyday, but I’m going to scoff all of this (egg).”
He followed this up with a furious screed in the Telegraph under the headline: “I’m stuffing my face with chocolate this Easter – to annoy the NHS luvvies”.
The reaction on social media suggested most people thought it was yet more tiresome “culture war” schtick.
The song of choice? Frank Sinatra’s I Love You Baby, obviously.
The short video was shared by Conservative Party member Emily Hewertson – with the caption “Priti X Farage. What a combo” – and has racked up more than 310,000 views in less than 12 hours.
It’s the first singing or dancing clip to have emerged from the Tory conference this year, but far from the first time the Conservatives have been caught busting a move at a work event.
So, perhaps Patel and Farage’s duet was not a complete surprise.
The former home secretary had praised the right-wing commentator and the “dynamic, no-nonsense” GB News channel on Sunday.
She called the “incredible” channel a “defender of free speech” and thanked the controversial broadcaster’s staff for “absolutely everything they do”.
GB News currently employs former ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Esther McVey, among other Tory backbenchers.
This year also marks the first time Farage has been allowed inside a Tory party conference since the 1980s, he told Express.co.uk, even though he officially left in 1992, founding UKIP the following year.
NatWest chief executive Alison Rose has resigned after admitting to discussing Nigel Farage’s relationship with the bank with a senior BBC journalist.
Rose had remained in post after saying she made a “serious error of judgment” over talking to Simon Jack about the former Brexit party leader and his closed accounts, with the company’s board stating they had “full confidence” in her.
Advertisement
But in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Howard Davies, chairman of the NatWest board, announced Rose had agreed to step down “by mutual consent”.
Her position had become untenable following the intense political and media scrutiny over a decision by NatWest’s private bank, Coutts, to close Farage’s accounts. NatWest is taxpayer-funded, with the state’s shareholding just below 40%.
Farage had alleged the decision to “exit” him was “political” after he obtained an internal document that said the “de-banking” was partly because his views were not “aligned” with the bank’s. The 40-page dossier refers to the ex-MEP as “xenophobic and racist” and a former “fascist”.
It raised into question a report by Jack, the broadcaster’s business editor, who had suggested Farage lost his account because he lacked the funds needed to hold it.
Advertisement
Jack on Monday apologised to Farage, saying the information his reporting was based on “turned out to be incomplete and inaccurate”. This was followed by Rose’s admission on Tuesday and her subsequent resignation.
Before the departure, Farage had hit back at NatWest’s statement on his GB News show, criticising Rose as “unfit” to run a bank, as well as lambasting Davies and Coutts CEO Peter Flavel.
“The government ought to say we have no confidence in this management. Frankly, I think they should all go,” Farage said, after declaring that Rose had breached an “essential confidence”.
Rose confirmed in the statement that she had discussed Farage’s “relationship with the bank” with Jack.
“I recognise that in my conversations with Simon Jack of the BBC, I made a serious error of judgment,” Rose said, but added she had not revealed any personal financial information about Farage and had answered a general question about eligibility.
Advertisement
Coutts’ website advises its clients should be able to borrow or invest at least £1 million with the bank or hold £3 million in savings.
Rose also said she was not part of the decision-making process to close Farage’s accounts and said this was a decision made by Coutts.
The government’s shareholding in NatWest is managed “at arm’s length” and on a commercial basis by the UK Government Investments (UKGI). UKGI’s role is to manage the shareholding, not the bank itself.
Treasury minister Andrew Griffith is set to meet lenders on Wednesday to discuss concerns that banks have closed customer accounts over their political views, ahead of reforms requiring banks to explain and delay these decisions.
The corporation’s flagship politics show on Thursday held a “special” in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex to mark the seventh anniversary of the 2016 vote. Some 70% of people in the area voted to get out of the bloc and only Brexit voters were in the audience for the programme.
Advertisement
Campbell, the Tony Blair-era Labour Party spin chief, has been a fierce critic of leaving the European Union. On the show, the Rest is Politics podcaster said he understood why the audience members wanted to exit the EU – but that they were “lied to” and told it “would be pain-free” and “all be upsides”, as he pointed to the fall in the pound, a lack of a trade deal with the US and the claim of more money for the NHS.
“You were told that it would be pain-free. You were told that it would all be upsides, no downsides”
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) June 22, 2023
He said: “Look, I understand why a lot of you guys voted for Brexit because you felt that Johnson, Farage … these conmen were coming along offering you something that was going to make your lives better.
“And I was in a school today, just a few minutes away from here. Clacton Coastal Academy. Really bright kids. Really nice teachers. Fantastic school in a very tough area, and I asked the kids what they thought of Brexit and all but two said they would vote to rejoin the European Union if they had the chance.”
Advertisement
He went on: “I don’t blame you for voting. I blame them for lying to you. They lied. They’ve not been properly held to account.
“Johnson’s gone from lying about Covid. He’s still not properly been held accountable for Brexit.
“And we’re all of us paying a higher price in our cost of living and everything else because of the lies that we were told.”
He later said Brexit is “one of the biggest acts of self-harm that we as a country have ever inflicted upon ourselves”, and that Johnson “never believed in Brexit”.
“Boris Johnson went for the referendum as a way of advancing his own career and becoming prime minister,” Campbell said. “The mess he’s left this country in, he should never be forgiven.”
Alastair Campbell, “Boris Johnson never believed in Brexit.. He went for the referendum as a way of advancing his own career and becoming PM.. The mess he’s left this country in, he should never be forgiven.”
Critics of leaving the EU have cited the impact on the pound, imports and labour costs, and other economies on the continent powering ahead. Britain’s higher rate of inflation compared to other major economies has also been blamed in part on Brexit thanks to higher administration costs and a small pool of workers.
Donald Trump has given an interview to former Ukip leader Nigel Farage for GB News during his recent visit to Scotland.
It contained many of his usual talking points – including bashing Meghan Markle and US president Joe Biden – but also a number of curiosities.
Advertisement
1. War in Ukraine “analysis”
Trump claimed it would be “easy” to end the grinding, 14-month war in Ukraine – defying every serious analysis of the conflict.
He said: “If I were president, I will end that war in one day. It’ll take 24 hours. I will get that ended. It would be easy.
“That deal would be easy. A lot of it has to do with the money. That war has to be stopped. It is a disaster.”
Trump said he “got along great” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, adding: “Putin never would have gotten into Ukraine if it weren’t for the incompetence of this administration, this current administration.
Advertisement
“Putin was not going in, it was never mentioned and I knew him very well.”
2. Gets angry with “windmills”
Trump has had a long-running battle with the Scottish government over blocking his plans for golf course development – with wind farms often standing in his way.
Here, Trump tried to re-frame his reputation as an uncompromising industrialist, and suggested he opposed “windmills” because he’s actually a bit of an environmentalist.
“You want to see a cemetery of birds?,” he asked Farage, a fellow turbine sceptic. “Walk under a windmill.”
He also had something to say about whales: “Wind farms seem to be driving them onshore. I don’t know what that’s all about that, but that’s certainly not good.”
Advertisement
3. Compliments Farage’s eyesight
After the interview, Trump and Farage took a filmed, leisurely stroll around the ex-president’s Turnberry golf course, with the pair stopping at the clubhouse to look out on the manicured holes. An odd back-and-forth took place.
<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Former US president Donald Trump alongside Nigel Farage at the Trump Turnberry course in South Ayrshire.” width=”720″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-bizarre-moments-from-donald-trumps-interview-with-nigel-farage-2.jpg”>
Former US president Donald Trump alongside Nigel Farage at the Trump Turnberry course in South Ayrshire.
Andrew Milligan – PA Images via Getty Images
Farage: “I saw you hole a good putt on the 18th.”
Trump: “Yeah, that was good.”
Farage: “That was for the four, wasn’t it?”
Trump: “That was for a four. Did you watch it from here? Were you able to see the ball go in the hole?
Farage: “Yeah!”
Trump: “You have good eyes. You don’t have any help with your eyes? You can see the ball going in the hole from here?”
Farage: “The only thing I need help with is short reading.”
Trump: “But long you have great eyes.”
Farage: “Almost be a pilot, you know.”
4. Calls Boris Johnson “far-left”
Trump said the ex-prime minister “changed a lot in office”, suggesting policies under his Conservative administration were “far-left”.
Advertisement
Trump said the Tories “really weren’t staying Conservative”.
“They were going – I mean they were literally going far-left,” he continued.
“It never made sense. I’m saying this as an insider looking in, they were going far-left. What were they doing?”
5. Drops a Sean Connery impression
Trump was also critical of former Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon – again mainly as a result of perceived obstacles put in the way of his beloved golf courses.
Trump claims Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t love Scotland, then rolls out his Sean Connery impression because why not pic.twitter.com/myzTTIDnyF
Trump said he did not think that the former SNP leader, who announced her intention to step down in February, loved her country, adding: “Somebody who comes in and spends a lot of money … I remember Sean Connery saying ‘let him build his bloody golf courses!’.”
