"To blame the victims of this violence is an insult to people of colour across the country, who are living in deep fear”
Nigel Farage has received widespread condemnation over his latest statement related to the ongoing violent riots in the UK.
On Monday morning the Reform leader posted a statement on X calling for Parliament to be recalled and expressing ‘shock’ at the violence towards police officers. However he went on to compare the far-right riots to Black Lives Matter protests, making an unsubstantiated claim about a ‘two-tier policing’ system.
His comments at a time of escalating violence by racist mobs has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Even former Home Secretary Priti Patel has criticised Farage, saying the Clacton MP’s comments were deeply misleading and that what we are currently seeing on the streets is “thuggery and disorder and criminality.”
Farage wrote: “Ever since the soft policing of the Black Lives Matter protests, the impression of two-tier policing has become widespread. The prime minister’s faltering attempts to address the current crisis have only added to that sense of injustice.”
In his statement, Farage goes on to attack immigration, as he claimed that “the majority of our population can see the fracturing of our communities as a result of mass, uncontrolled immigration, whether legal or illegal.”
Commentators online have called out Farage for using ‘dog whistle’ politics and continuing to fan the flame of division.
Racial justice organisation The Runnymede Trust said: “Once again the victims of this racist violence are barely mentioned, a general trend across mainstream media too.
“This is not about integration. To blame the victims of this violence is an insult to people of colour across the country, who are living in deep fear.”
Labour MP Dawn Butler said: “You have the nerve to blame BLM for something you have stoked!
“Understand the consequences of your actions.”
TV personality Carol Vorderman said: “Farage – the privately schooled, multi-millionaire apologist who kept silent during the riots, the one who has provoked and prodded people he couldn’t give a monkey’s about, to feel a sense of injustice, all for what?
Money?
Power?
Narcissism and control?
Multiple counts of provocation… the list is long
Appalling…”
Campaign group Stand Up to Racism said: “Farage is explicit here. He blames far right #riots on “soft policing” of the BLM movement plus “mass uncontrolled immigration, whether illegal or legal”. This is Robinson’s argument.
“Farage is better pointing the blame at himself, for feeding conspiracy and stirring up racism.”
Today Andy McDonald slammed Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson as “complete racists” on Times Radio. The Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East accused the Reform Party MPs of “stirring up racial hatred”.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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