Nigel Farage 'fanning flames of hatred' with 'dangerous' claims of 'cover-up'
Nigel Farage has been accused of fanning the flames of hatred across Britain in a repeat of the lead-up to the Southport riots.
The right-wing Reform UK leader was branded 'dangerous' on Monday after he suggested there had been a 'cover-up' in a sexual assault case in Warwicksire.
The former Ukip chief told a press conference in central London it 'is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year'. It comes after Mr Farage's appearances on Sky News spark thousands of complaints
Last summer swirling misinformation about the supposed suspect in the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in July, led to widespread riots across the country. Mr Farage was accused of stoking tensions after posting a provocative video on social media in the wake of the stabbings questioning 'whether the truth is being held from us'.
It triggered mass fury from politicians and campaigners, including from Brendan Cox, the wife of murdered MP Jo Cox, who at the time branded Mr Farage "Tommy Robinson in a suit".
Asked at an event in central London whether police should release the names, addresses and immigration status of all people after they have been charged with an offence, Mr Farage said on Monday: "What caused unrest on our streets after Southport last year was us not being told the status of the attacker. That led to crazy conspiracy theories spreading online."
Pressed on whether police should be obliged to publish details of someone, Mr Farage said: "I absolutely think that they should."
Mr Cox told The Mirror on Monday: 'Farage got the riots badly wrong last year. By seeming to justify the rioters he misjudged the mood of the nation who have absolutely no time for thuggery or conspiracy stories. It seems he hasn't learnt his lesson.'
Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, also accused the Reform UK leader of seeking to 'fan the flames of hate' with his comments.
He told The Mirror: 'Farage is a fake patriot who does not care about this country. He seeks to exploit division and fan the flames of hate for his own political gain - that is anti British and well below our standards.'
One left-wing Labour MP accused Mr Farage of 'maliciously fanning the flames'. They said: "Only days ago Farage was forecasting mass civil disobedience. Now he's making unproven dark hints about 'cover-ups'. He's maliciously fanning the flames. But the overwhelming view of the British people is that they want their politicians to cool it, not to inflame feelings."
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: 'Victims must be at the heart of how all such cases are handled, whilst transparency and building public trust in our institutions is also important. But it's pretty rich to hear warnings of a febrile atmosphere from the very person fanning the flames. We are a nation of laws and decency, not hate and lawlessness.'
Joe Mulhall, director of research at campaign group Hope not Hate, warned the 'anger and tension' seen in last summer's disorder had not gone away. He told The Mirror: 'In the right conditions, it could explode again.
'And I think it's extraordinarily dangerous, and that's why now is the sort of time when you expect your politicians to behave responsibly, not to try and exacerbate those tensions and create more anger for their own political desires.'
Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism's co-convenor, said: 'When most sensible people in positions of authority are thinking how they can prevent a repeat of last year's racist riots, Nigel Farage gets busy doing exactly what he did last year.
'That is stoking up tensions, implying there's been a cover-up, hoping to win votes on the back of this. Him and his are not fit to be anywhere near power.'
On Monday, Mr Farage held an hour-long press conference in Westminster as part of Reform UK's 'Lawless Britain' campaign. He said there was 'rising public anger out there in the country', referring to recent protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.
He said the issue was now becoming 'very much about the safety of women and children'. "There is certainly rising public anger out there in the country," he said. "As you can see, the number of protests that are taking place outside migrant hotels, up and down the country is indeed evidence of that.
"And increasingly, the migrant hotel issue has moved really from one of fairness - why on earth are people being given all these things - to very much about the safety of women and children."
The MP for Clacton went on to discuss the case of two men who are accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. 'What we will today be talking about is a cover up, a cover up that, in many ways, is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year,' he said.
George Finch, Reform UK's 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire County Council, has alleged the two men charged, Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, are aslylum seekers. This has been unconfirmed by the police.
Mr Finch said he has been warned not to release such information as he would be in contempt of court - a strict rule which tries to ensure a trial is not unfairly influenced.
The councillor said: 'Our communities are at a breaking point, and that's why we need Reform to change things. We're the last line of defence against the blob, the cover-ups of the councils, and we have to fight every step of the way against this blob, and this is what we're doing at Warwickshire County Council.
"It has to stop. A 13-year-old girl had been raped by two asylum seekers, and I was told that if I release this I would be in contempt of court, that I cannot release this due to this phrase: community cohesion."
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe had earlier said: "It is essential to state that policing decisions—such as whether to release details about a suspect—must follow national guidance and legal requirements."
Police have come under scrutiny over the release of information relating to high-profile crimes amid challenges in the social media age over vigilante inspectors online.
Jonathan Hall KC, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, earlier this year admitted authorities' failure to "spell out basic and sober facts" after the Southport attacks led to "contagious disinformation about a murderous Muslim asylum-seeker that stoked the ensuing riots".
But questions have been raised about serving politicians such as Mr Farage allegedly riling up situations instead of trying to cool tensions.
Other MPs - including Conservatives - have also been called out for misinformation related to growing tensions around migrant hotels. Tory MP Nick Timothy was forced to delete a post on X, formerly Twitter, after being told off by the Metropolitan Police for false claims made about an asylum hotel protest.The MP for West Suffolk admitted his post was "inaccurate".
Earlier border security minister Dame Angela Eagle told protestors outside hotels housing asylum seekers that "anger doesn't get you anywhere". She said she hears the worries of Brits across the country but warned it wasn't easy to deport people without other countries being on board. She promised the Government was "doing the detailed work" to crack down on small boat crossings, after the Home Office unveiled its plan to pump an extra £100million into tackling people smuggling.
But Dame Angela warned that protests must not be used to "have a pop at the police". Demonstrations have taken place outside hotels over recent weeks across the country, including in London, Newcastle and Epping in Essex.
Police have been forced to make a series of arrests after protests turned violent. On Sunday reports emerged that dozens of young men wearing balaclavas and armed with smoke bombs tried to storm a hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf.
Police said a group of demonstrators have been ordered not to return to the area for 28 days after trying to harass people staying in the hotel, as well as the hotel's staff. Asked what her message was to protesters, Dame Angela told Sky News: "Anger doesn't get you anywhere.
"What we have to do is recognise the values we have in this country, the rule of law we have in this country, the work we're doing with the police to protect people. We will close asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament. We'll do it faster if we can."
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