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Newly-crowned Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will kick off his general election campaign in Clacton on Tuesday, as he begins his eighth bid to become an MP.
The former Ukip leader dove into his first day on the campaign trail with calling for a zero net migration policy.
He told BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the UK should prevent the entry of non-essential migrants which he defined as “unskilled” and “physical, manual labour”.
Mr Farage will stand in the Essex constituency, a staunchly Brexit-backing constituency, which is believed to hold favourable odds for the new Reform leader – but it will be his party’s impact on the national picture that is of most concern to the Conservatives.
Writing for The Times in the wake of YouGov’s major poll suggesting Labour is on course to win the largest majority in 100 years, polling guru Sir John Curtice noted that Reform’s decision to contest Tory seats was “but one reason” why YouGov’s estimate that the Tories could find themselves with just 140 seats is credible.
This was “even though it implies that the party could lose as many as 60 more seats than would be the case if its support were to fall by the same amount everywhere”, Sir John said.
Nigel Farage in Clacton-on-Sea to launch his campaign
Farage challenged over recent comments on British Muslims
Nigel Farage was challenged over his recent claim that a growing number of Muslims do not subscribe to British values.
He told BBC Radio 4 Today programme’s Mishal Husain that there are streets in Oldham, Greater Manchester, where “no one speaks English”.
The BBC presenter pointed out that people could be bilingual and said to Mr Farage “don’t your children speak another language… I think they do because I think your ex-wife is German”.
Mr Farage said he would not talk about his children. He has previously admitted two of his children have British and German passports and speak “perfect German”.
Why Clacton is the perfect place for Farage to launch his bid to eclipse the Tories
He failed seven times to enter the House of Commons, but this time Nigel Farage may have found the perfect place from which to launch the next chapter in his political career, says David Maddox:
'This is getting silly': Farage loses cool as Radio 4's Mishal Husain asks about migration
The new Reform UK leader, who announced yesterday he will be challenging for the Clacton seat at the general election, was being pressed on Reform’s pledge to freeze non-essential immigration.
Ms Husain listed a number of occupations, including midwives, architects, butchers and bakers, and asked whether they would be allowed to come to the UK under his party’s plans.
“In limited numbers,” Mr Farage responded, before suggesting that the line of questioning was “getting rather silly”.
Nigel Farage appears to ditch key Reform UK immigration policy during live interview
But, appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Farage appeared to drop the policy, saying he needed to “sort a few things out”.
Archie Mitchell reports:
Farage sets out plan for ‘reverse takeover of Conservative Party'
Nigel Farage has set out his goal for Reform UK to effectively take over the Conservative Party - and potentially put him in No 10.
The veteran Eurosceptic, now installed as Reform UK leader and seeking to win the Clacton seat at the General Election, suggested a “chunk” of the Conservatives could join his party.
He compared the situation to Canadian politics, where Stephen Harper had been elected as a Reform MP but went on to head a “new Conservative” government.
Mr Farage on Monday U-turned on his previous suggestion he would not stand in this General Election, opting to fight in Clacton and being installed as Reform leader in place of Richard Tice.
He had previously suggested he could be open to talks with the Tories, but suggested he could not work with them in their current form.
Instead, he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain his goal was to take the Conservative Party over, rather than join it.
Farage: ‘I want to take over the Tories'
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has suggested his long-term aim was to effectively take over the Conservative Party.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he could not stand for or seek to lead the Conservative Party “as they currently are”.
But he added: “You can speculate as to what’ll happen in three or four years’ time, all I will tell you is if Reform succeed in the way that I think they can, then a chunk of the Conservative Party will join us - it’s the other way around.”
He pointed to Canada, where “Reform did a reverse takeover of the Conservative Party, rebranded it and Stephen Harper - who was elected as a Reform MP - became the Canadian prime minister for 10 years”.
He said: “I don’t want to join the Conservative Party, I think the better thing to do would be to take it over.”
Caroline Lucas on Farage’s ‘zero’ net migration: ‘Massive labour shortages and public service on their knees’
Commenting on Nigel Farage’s “zero” net migration policy, former leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas said: “Farage is perfectly clear the future he’s offering is one of massive labour shortages, public services on their knees, & yet more division & hate.”
‘We literally don’t need any’: Farage challenged on ‘non-essential migrants'
When asked who he considers to be “non-essential migrants”, Nigel Farage replied: “Unskilled labour.”
Pushed on his terminology by BBC Radio 4 Today presenter, Mishal Hussain, he clarified: “Physical, manual labour.”
Ms Hussain asked if construction workers are included in this definition, to which he replied: “We literally don’t need any.”
‘A vote for Reform opens the door to Labour’- Home sec
Put to him that their hearts must have sunk when Nigel Farage announced he will stand as a Reform UK candidate at the General Election, James Cleverly said: “I think the person whose heart really sank was Richard Tice, who has obviously been squeezed out.
“A vote for Reform is not going to create a Reform government, Reform is not going to form part of the next government, it is either Rishi Sunak and a Conservative government or Keir Starmer and a Labour government.
“A vote for Reform opens the door to a Labour government, and a Labour government will just open the door and wave people through into our country.”
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2024-06-04 10:08:04Z
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