Laura Kuenssberg calls out Nigel Farage over one of his biggest Brexit lies

As public sentiment continues to turn against the decision to leave the EU, one of Brexit’s main architects, Nigel Farage, was left squirming after one of his biggest Brexit lies was exposed on the BBC by Laura Kuenssberg.

During the Brexit campaign in 2016, Farage pushed the argument that Turkey, with its population of 76 million, was set to join the EU. It was claimed by Brexiteers that some 15 million people would leave the country for the EU in the first ten years of its membership.

Farage claimed that Turkey was ‘being fast-tracked into the EU’, and also took a swipe at the aid payments the UK has sent them over the years.

However, there was no evidence presented during the Brexit campaign that Turkey was being fast tracked to join the EU. Although Turkey had begun accession talks in 2005, the pace of progress had slowed in its talks to join the European bloc. Concerns over increasing authoritarianism in the country had effectively put paid to any prospect of Turkish membership.

Kuenssberg asked Farage: “You said that Turkey was being fast tracked into the EU, that wasn’t the case, it’s not happened, the Prime Minister at the time said it wouldn’t happen and that the UK could stop it, that wasn’t right was it?”

Nigel Farage replied: “Yes it was. We’ve been paying Turkey billions in pre-accession aid for many, many years, it was an ambition of the EU to get Turkey in as quickly as possible.”

Kuenssberg continued: “It wasn’t true they were being fast tracked”, to which Farage replied: “It was entirely true.” Farage is yet to present any evidence for his claim.