UKIP leader Nigel Farage joined Breitbart London Editor in Chief Raheem Kassam at the Breitbart London offices in Westminster to discuss the launch of the ‘Say No to EU’ referendum campaign, the European Migrant Crisis, and the situation in Calais.
Mr Farage, moments after launching UKIP’s new campaign just a few metres away, sat down to talk about how he thinks the diversity in the ‘Out’ campaigns could be a benefit.
Listen as he speaks emotionally about the EU migrant crisis, and the deceased Syrian boy who was found washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach.
He details that “real people” have a hunger for old fashioned politics, and mentions how since he started doing public meetings they have been emulated by both Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway – perhaps a sign that anti-establishment politicians of all stripes realise that there is a huge constituency out there disillusioned with Westminster politics.
Speaking about an old poll repackaged as new by the Spectator and the Telegraph, Mr Farage said: “The posh boys, you know who’ve never had a job, who’ve come straight from Oxbridge into politics, who are generally too cowardly to take on the real issues of the day think they should be the top dogs in this referendum campaign.
“Well I’m very happy to work with them, but the idea that any of them could lead anything… I mean I wouldn’t let most of them run a bath, frankly… Their line is that Farage is toxic… well at least the public have heard of me. Who’s ever heard of any of them?”
On Jeremy Corbyn, he said that the diversity of ‘No’ campaigns meant that UKIP’s campaign could target “Labour voters would will be appalled by Corbyn.” Asked who these voters were, he said: “There are two Labour votes as I see it. There is a left wing, traditional socialist Labour vote, and, make no mistake Corbyn will not collapse the Labour vote overnight, because he’ll get the green vote. I mean come on. He rides a bicycle, he’s got a beard. Well, you have too… and he’s a vegan tee-totaler so there’s no point voting Green anymore because you’ve got your man.
“But what I do see is an old Labour vote. Traditional, family orientated… immensely proud of the contributions their families have made over two world wars. Good, bloomin’ decent people who voted Labour because they thought that Labour was on their side. And they will look at Corbyn… as a friend of Gerry Adams.”
He also reiterated his appeal for Jeremy Corbyn to share a platform with him during UKIP’s 300-date referendum tour:
“This isn’t about left or right,” he said. “It isn’t about agreeing or disagreeing. It’s about do we have a sovereign country that has the ability to agree. And a Supreme Court that is supreme and that’s why this referendum is the most important constitutional question I’m going to face in my lifetime.”
On the ongoing European migrant crisis, Mr Farage noted that the new bounds for asylum are so wide that they now include war torn countries and economic migrants. This means that over 4 billion could seek asylum to Europe on these grounds.
“Please, no one looking at this misinterpret me. I am not saying that we should not help people in genuine need. Indeed my own forebears were French huguenots… this country was very welcoming to Jewish people… Ugandan Asians who became the most successful groups of migrants… I don’t need lecturing by Chancellor Merkel… we get this.
“I was quoting Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, who said that the leaders of the European Union are not being honest about who’s coming. Ninety-five per cent of those who come are economic migrants.
“How do we stop more pictures of three year old kids being dragged dead out of the Mediterranean?” he pondered.
“Do we do it by a European policy that anyone that comes can be accepted? Do we do it by what Chancellor Merkel has done this week? By saying ‘Please, come, anyone come! We’ll take 800,000 and by the way I promise you I’ll bully my neighbours into taking even more’? I think that misguided EU policy… means that actually, and I’m sorry to say this but it’s true. We will see more photographs of young kids being dragged dead out of the Mediterranean and more stories about lorries being filled with people who have suffocated.
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