Nigel Farage says he ‘can't apologise' for lack of MP vetting in general election
On Monday morning, Mr Farage arrived to overcast drizzle at Kent County Council (KCC) in Maidstone, to be greeted by expectant councillors from the Reform-led authority.
The visit comes after news that Reform MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock James McMurdock has resigned the party whip amid allegations that he took out government loans during the Covid pandemic for businesses with no employees.
Mr Farage was keen to distance himself from the absence of Reform candidate vetting processes for the 2024 general election, and said he 'can't apologise' for it.
He said: 'I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process.
'I said on July 5, the day after the election last year, that we would now professionalise.
'We put 1,630 candidates into the field on May 1, more than any other party with very, very few rows or arguments – so the vetting process worked for this year, I can't apologise for what happened before.'
The Reform leader did not answer when asked whether the allegations faced by Mr McMurdock were an embarrassment for his party.
'Let's find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do.' said Mr Farage.
He added that he would be heading to Westminster later on Monday to find out more about the situation.
Addressing KCC Reform councillors on the steps inside County Hall, he outlined his expectations for them.
Mr Farage said: 'Behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you, although that doesn't mean you all have to become stuffed shirts or anything like that.
'You are holders of public office you are responsible and how we behave matters.'
Later, he told the PA news agency: 'Yes I think, I think that when you become elected at any level you have a responsibility,
'I'm not asking for stuffed shirts, I'm not asking for boring people. I'm just saying think, think to all of these people here who were basically in 'civvy street' in political terms before May 1, just think before you act.'
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Times
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Times letters: Junking juries and the pursuit of swift justice
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John White Petworth, W Sussex Sir, I have had more than 50 years' practice in the criminal courts (both prosecuting and defending, and also as a judge). I think it is quite wrong for any one person to be able to decide on guilt or innocence followed by a potentially long sentence of imprisonment and criminal bankruptcy. Most English judges are fair, but some are notorious for their prejudice in favour of the prosecution. The jury system is essential to protect the public against oppressive judges, police officers or even governments. As that great judge Lord Devlin wrote: It is the lamp that shows that freedom lives. 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Alastair Stewart Nunnington, N Yorks Sir, Why does the letter from former ambassadors ('Recognise Palestine', Jul 7) fail to mention Hamas, the October 7 attacks that started this latest conflict or the hostages that were kidnapped and are still being held, but instead heaps all the blame on Israel, when the biggest barrier to peace in the Middle East has always been the threats its enemies pose to Israel's security? I too want to see a Palestinian state and have campaigned for that for decades, but the 'unconditional' recognition the letter calls for would mean doing so before any negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on security, borders, Jerusalem or the status of settlements and would, of course, leave Hamas in place, something to which Israel can obviously not agree. Lord Austin of Dudley House of Lords Sir, It is telling that the letter signed by some two dozen former ambassadors does not include one who formerly served as an ambassador to Israel. They would understand the impractical and unhelpful nature of this suggestion and presumably refused to sign. Lord Leigh of Hurley House of Lords Sir, It is clear that, with the burgeoning numbers, there needs to be a redefinition of children's learning difficulties and disabilities ('PM facing fresh revolt over special needs help', news, Jul 7). We first need to recognise that most conditions are on a continuum; yet there is an increasing tendency to attribute a fixed label to those conditions, whatever the degree, and often after constant pressure from importunate parents. Moderate needs can and should be addressed within mainstream schools, with more specialist teachers and earlier intervention, as Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, states. Those on the severe end of the spectrum only should require a special school. The current route to this is through an EHCP (education, health and care plan). 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Nicholas Allen Chairman, Independent Association of Preparatory Schools, 2012-13; Ipswich Sir, Specialists value hospital resources (letter, Jul 7), but in the first instance the public crave prompt access to a medical opinion, with onward referral only if necessary. A 'neighbourhood health service' and enhanced technology (the NHS app and AI especially) could facilitate this and also free up hospitals to concentrate on delivering high-class tertiary care. Many community hospitals have closed and 'Darzi centres', modelled on Continental polyclinics, were never fully implemented. Let's give Wes Streeting the chance to restore quick, effective local primary healthcare. Tim Williams Ret'd consultant surgeon; Waldron, E Sussex Sir, Matthew Parris (comment, Jul 7) refers to economics as a dismal science. Dismal, yes. Science, no. 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