“Attacking the media has become commonplace under Donald Trump in the US and today we have seen it here in Scotland, by Reform UK, against The Herald.”
Nigel Farage has faced widespread criticism after he falsely accused Scottish newspaper The Herald of sharing the location of Reform UK’s Aberdeen press conference with protesters.
When Andrew Learmonth, political editor at The Herald asked a question, the Reform UK leader accused him of having tipped off the protestors.
Farage said: “Andrew Learmonth, it seems that you’re involved with this group of protesters outside.”
The journalist responded that he hadn’t, but Farage insisted: “Well it’s funny isn’t it that you come and your newspaper also manages to have another one of your correspondents as a protest correspondent, so you know more about this than we did.”
Learmonth replied: “That’s not true at all, Nigel, sorry.”
Farage eventually backed down, stating: “If you say that, I believe you.”
However, he then continued to suggest that the media had given protestors information about the location of the press conference.
Nigel Farage and deputy leader of Reform visited Aberdeen and South Lanarkshire yesterday ahead of Thursday’s Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
Farage said: “This location was only sent to you guys, it wasn’t sent on the public wires. We didn’t put it out to our membership and yet [the protesters] knew. It came from one of you.”
Responding to the attack on the newspaper, editor of The Herald, Catherine Salmond, Editor, said: “The responsibility of a trusted news brand is to act with integrity. The idea that The Herald was involved with protests in Aberdeen against Nigel Farage and Reform UK is ridiculous.
“Our job is to report on the truth and to hold those who do not tell the truth to account.
“Attacking the media has become commonplace under Donald Trump in the US and today we have seen it here in Scotland, by Reform UK, against The Herald. A low tactic and one we should all stand against.”
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said it is shocked by Nigel Farage’s “baseless” attack on reporters.
National Union of Journalists organiser for Scotland Nick McGowan-Lowe said: “It is shocking that Nigel Farage, who is seeking to become the next PM, feels free to make baseless attacks without any evidence on the integrity of journalists and blame the press for protests.
McGowan-Lowe added: “Attacking the press doesn’t demonstrate strength: it just exposes a thin skin to voters.”
Later in the day, Farage was accused of failing to show up to a press conference in Hamilton that Reform UK had invited journalists to.
He left journalists and supporters waiting there, while continuing to brief the press that he would attend the press conference.
Instead, he turned up at a pub in Larkhall to speak to voters, before getting on his private jet to return to England.
Why did the self-proclaimed ‘man of the people’ dodge media scrutiny and the public?
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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