Hope Not Hate hits back after Nigel Farage’s ‘extremists’ slur
Anti-fascist group consults lawyers over 'violence' remarks on LBC
Anti-fascist charity Hope Not Hate has hit back at Nigel Farage after the former UKIP leader called them ‘extremists’ who ‘pursue violence’ amid his spat with the widower of slain MP Jo Cox.
The group said ‘we have no idea on what Mr Farage bases his outrageous comments’ and said it was consulting with lawyers about his ‘potentially libellous statement’.
Farage was on LBC radio discussing his Twitter spat over last night’s Berlin lorry attack with Brendan Cox, whose late wife Jo was murdered by a neo-Nazi terrorist a week before the EU referendum.
Farage had blamed the attack, which killed 12 and injured 48, on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s immigration policies, to which Brendan replied:
@Nigel_Farage blaming politicians for the actions of extremists? That’s a slippery slope Nigel
— Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) December 20, 2016
On LBC today, Farage said:
“Well of course he would know more about extremists than me, Mr Cox, he backs organisations like Hope Not Hate, who masquerade as being lovely and peaceful but actually pursue violent and very undemocratic means.”
Hope Not Hate, responding in a statement, said:
“We are aware of a serious and potentially libellous statement made about Hope Not Hate by Nigel Farage on LBC radio this morning.
We have no idea on what Mr Farage bases his outrageous comments. Hope Not Hate has a proud history of campaigning against extremism and hatred.
We will not be making any further comment until we have had the opportunity to consult with our lawyers.”
* * *
UPDATE: Hope Not Hate has written to Farage:
.@hopenothate has just sent Nigel Farage a legal letter demanding his retracts and apologises or else we will start legal action.
— Nick Lowles (@lowles_nick) December 20, 2016
Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBarnett13
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