LBC presenter James O’Brien launched a fierce critique of Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader’s controversial appearance on Nick Ferrari’s show. Farage, who took calls from listeners during the segment, refused to apologise for comments he made during recent far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland.
Farage had questioned whether the Southport attacker was known to the police, suggesting that the “truth is being withheld from us,” a remark that many saw as inciting violence. When challenged on his words, Farage stood by his comments, saying, “I asked a question – was he known to the security services? They still haven’t told us the truth.”
Farage further defended his position by pointing to statements made by terrorism experts Jonathan Hall KC and Lord Carlile, who both called for more transparency from the government and police. Farage suggested that had authorities been more forthcoming, “those riots would have been anything like the scale they were.”
His remarks were made in the context of widespread violence in areas like Hartlepool, London, and Southport, where riots had erupted. Farage’s video statements, made shortly after the unrest, warned that “nothing to what could happen over the course of the next few weeks” would be as severe as the current disturbances.
In response to these comments, former head of counter-terrorism policing Neil Basu urged Farage to “think very carefully” about the impact of his words, given the potential to incite further violence. Despite this, Farage continued to release videos accusing the police of withholding information and spreading misinformation about the Southport attacker being under surveillance.
When O’Brien took over from Ferrari’s show, he did not hold back in his criticism of Farage, addressing the Reform leader’s role in stirring up tensions. O’Brien said, “Have you ever had violent race riots named after you or indeed been accused by the head of the Met of emboldening the racist thugs responsible?”
O’Brien further questioned Farage’s association with controversial figures like Andrew Tate, asking if the Reform leader had ever cited a self-described misogynist facing serious charges as a credible source, or helped a convicted abuser get elected to parliament.
“Have you ever helped a convicted woman beater get elected to the UK Parliament?” O’Brien continued, pointing to the problematic figures Farage has aligned himself with in recent years.
Farage’s controversial remarks were also tied to his ongoing support for Donald Trump. During his LBC interview, Farage defended Trump’s widely debunked claim that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating pets, stating that “whenever [Trump] says something like this, that sounds absolutely crackers, in the end, there always proves to be some truth in it.”
However, Trump’s vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, later admitted that the story was fabricated to make a point about immigration policies. Additionally, one of the originators of the rumour retracted her claims, further discrediting the baseless narrative.
O’Brien’s searing commentary highlighted the ongoing concerns over Farage’s rhetoric and its potential to incite violence and embolden far-right groups. Farage’s refusal to apologise, coupled with his continued defence of false claims, has only fuelled further criticism from those concerned about the impact of such inflammatory remarks.
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