Nigel Farage appeared to ditch a key Reform UK policy live on air, admitting that his party’s plan to process asylum seekers in British Overseas Territories is “not terribly practical”.
The former UKIP leader hit the airwaves ahead of launching his election campaign at Clacton pier today after announcing his dramatic return to political frontlines on Monday, as exclusively first revealed by The Independent.
He was challenged over the party’s “secure detention for all asylum seekers” plan. Contained in Reform’s provisional manifesto, the policy states: “Asylum claims that arrive though safe countries will be processed rapidly offshore in British Overseas Territories. This will stop the scandal of undocumented asylum seekers absconding to work illegally or commit crime.”
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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”.
Presenter Mishal Husain said: “Have you looked into it, because overseas territories include the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands.If you’re putting this forward, which overseas territories would be open to this?”
The new Reform UK leader replied: “I don’t think it’s terribly practical.” Ms Husain replied: “What… the policy you’ve put forward is not practical?”
Mr Farage, who sensationally took back control of the party on Monday, said: “I think it is a very difficult policy to work, and I have not put it forward by the way. I took over yesterday, so give me more than 12 hours and I will sort a few things out.”
The former UKIP leader was also challenged over his recent claim that a growing number of Muslims do not subscribe to British values.
He told Ms Husain 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”.
The heated exchange came after Mr Farage electrified the general election campaign, taking over as leader of Reform and launching a bid to become an MP.
Mr Farage will run in Tory-held Clacton in Essex in what is already being described as “an existential risk” for the Tories.
The decision comes as a major blow to Rishi Sunak’s electoral hopes, as the former Ukip leader – who had said he would not run to be an MP – confirmed he had changed his mind and decided to contest the general election.
Within hours of the revelation, Tory MPs and candidates were being asked to attend a briefing on an “immigration lock” pledge which means a Conservative government would set a legal limit on annual immigration figures. The move was being seen as a bid to stop Reform UK and Mr Farage splitting the vote on the right.
Mr Farage’s announcement came on a day when two major polls suggested that the Tories were already heading for a historically bad defeat. A YouGov MRP poll of 12,000 people predicted Labour will have its biggest-ever majority, of 194, with the Tories marooned on 140 seats.
Earlier a Redfield and Wilton poll of 10,000 voters put Labour 26 points ahead of the Conservatives on just 20 per cent, suggesting the party could be down to a mere 24 seats. This followed an MRP poll at the weekend suggesting the Tories could be down to 66 seats.
