Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, faced a barrage of heckles during a press conference held in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on Tuesday. The event was intended to unveil Alexander Jones as the party’s candidate for the upcoming mayoral election, but quickly devolved into chaos as multiple protesters interrupted Farage’s speech.

Farage began addressing the audience by stating that his party aimed to “stun the establishment” in the local elections scheduled for May, where Reform UK plans to field candidates across all available seats. However, less than a minute into his remarks, he was interrupted by the first of several demonstrators. Responding to the initial heckle, the 60-year-old Farage exclaimed, “Oh dear, we’ve got a screamer! We’ve got a screamer!”, eliciting applause from the audience. He challenged the heckler directly, calling for a contest “at the ballot box in a democracy.”

As he attempted to resume his speech, recounting the story of the last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain who had recently passed away at 105 years old, he was interrupted again, leading him to quip, “You don’t look very well.” The ongoing interruptions included shouts of “Free Palestine!” and accusations from protesters, who identified themselves as part of the Stand Up To Racism group, claiming that “Farage offers nothing for ordinary people.” A notable interruption prompted Farage to say, “Go back to school please!”, before he began chanting “Boring! Boring! Boring!” in an attempt to drown out the protests.

The atmosphere continued to be tumultuous as Farage acknowledged the hecklers, labelling them as “hard left” and “Antifa” protesters. Despite the disorder, he emphasised to the crowd that such disruptions would not hinder their election campaign, stating, “We will not be stopped by a ranting student mob.”

Regarding the protests, he suggested that the challenges posed by the demonstrators stem from “left-wing teaching unions” that he accused of “poisoning the minds of young people.” In a more general observation about democracy, Farage asserted, “the point about our country is, in a democracy, you can disagree with people,” while stressing the importance of respecting opposing views.

During the conference, Alexander Jones, the mayoral candidate, expressed his commitment to revitalising Doncaster, stating, “growing up in Doncaster showed me how our communities can be forgotten and failed by politicians who promise much but deliver little.” He asserted that a vote for Labour or the Conservatives in the upcoming election would simply perpetuate existing issues in the city, asserting that Reform UK would “fix” Doncaster.

In response to the disruptions, Sabby Dhalu, co-convener of Stand Up To Racism, explained that their action was a challenge to Farage’s party, asserting that it aimed to spread “hate and division at a time when we need unity.” Weyman Bennett, another co-convener, added that Reform UK’s real agenda is “division and distraction,” and expressed the view that Farage, as a millionaire banker, does not represent the interests of working-class individuals.

The event highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding Farage and his political platform, marking another chapter in the political landscape as the local elections approach.

Source: Noah Wire Services