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Nigel Farage is ‘incarnation of Enoch Powell’s politics’, says UK minister

By Mark Mansfield
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, appearing during a BBC General Election interview Panorama special, hosted by Nick Robinson. Photo Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire

Nigel Farage is “today’s incarnation of the politics of Enoch Powell”, Business Secretary Peter Kyle has said.

The senior Cabinet minister hit out at the leader of Reform UK while speaking at the Co-operative Party conference.

Mr Kyle insisted the Government’s goal of boosting economic growth was needed to “build an economy and a politics that people can trust to deliver for themselves, their families and their communities”, ahead of making the remark.

He then told the conference: “The truth is that without securing higher, sustained economic growth, reconnecting people and politics, generating trust in the potential of democracy and importance of good government becomes almost impossible.

“And the appeal of the parties of the far right – with their dogma of disruption, division and despair – it becomes, too, alluring.”

Mr Kyle added: “We see it today with Reform, just as we did in previous times with the National Front and the British National Party.

“Lack of economic growth it is the cause. Nigel Farage, today’s incarnation of the politics of Enoch Powell, is the effect.”

Enoch Powell made a speech widely remembered for the phrase “rivers of blood” in 1968, when he was a Conservative shadow minister, which was blamed for inflaming racial tensions at the time.

Business Secretary Mr Kyle is no stranger to sparring with the Reform leader over their political differences.

Earlier this year, Mr Farage made clear his opposition to the Government’s Online Safety Act.

Jimmy Savile

In response, Mr Kyle – then the technology secretary – claimed people like Jimmy Savile would use the internet to exploit children if he was still alive, and insisted anyone against the Act, like Mr Farage, was “on their side”.

The Co-operative Party, which is affiliated with Labour via a longstanding electoral pact, also heard from the Communities Secretary, Steve Reed.

He also spoke about parties and politicians “who feed off the decline and division”, pointing to Reform UK.

Mr Reed added: “But whatever our differences in our backgrounds, wherever we come from, people have a shared interest in making their own community as successful as it can be, so that is where we must build the bridges that bring people together.”

Reform UK was contacted for comment.

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8 comments

Amir

Well said. The other politicians are waking up. Just need our mainstream media to do as well.

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Jeff

And more. Mosley and William Joyce wrapped up into one hateful spiteful little man. farage is at this moment trying to undermine the UK appealing to Trump who is being protected by his base because Epstein kew a lot about Trump. Yet Gill gets convicted and we don't do anything to someone tryiong a coup in the UK and who thinks putin is the best and spoken for russia on many occasions.

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Amir

Well said.

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Evan Aled Bayton

This is unhelpful nonsense. Where does Jimmy Savile fit into it except by clang association to confuse people. Mr Farage is an unattractive man who has damaged this country by causing Brexit which has terminated any authority and power we had and destroyed the small business economy as well as making foreign travel more tedious. There is little evidence that he is anything like Enoch Powell who was much more intelligent and able to put his extreme ideas more cogently. Powell was right to warm about the forthcoming multiethnic society but very wrong in his comments and approach. Probably because of his ill timed and silly malevolent remarks we are now unable to discuss the reality of the difficult and unstable situation we are in with a multicultural multiethnic population but no multiethnic society - a series of ghettoes in fact all self inflicted. The next thirty years are going to be really unstable and very difficult unless we face the problems we are in. I sat through the Burnley Riots in about 2002 as an A&E doctor and the Manchester 1981 riots as a student and I don’t want to experience any more of the same.

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Amir

Usually the first person to use the word nonsense to describe what they have read or heard, is most likely to end up writing it themselves. If you had knowledge of the historical origins of commonwealth, you would understand the reasons why Britain is a multicultural society. If you were so keen to blame people of colour like myself on causing the ills to the British Isles, perhaps you can explain the origins of British football hooliganism. Are you going to blame that despicable behaviour on me as well? The only reason we may have any difficulties in the years ahead is because of bigoted people like yourself.

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Mab Meirion

Farage, as you probably know, was a nasty piece of work at school... Would-be Tyrants early years, a worthy study no doubt...

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Steve D.

I agree Farage is an incarnation of Powell, with his hatred of immigrants, blaming them for all our woes but as for the only answer to all our problems is economic growth that's debatable. The current economic system is no longer (if it ever really was) benefiting the majority of us - our individual GDP and standard of living is falling. Other economic systems should be looked at, putting people and community first, not money and profit. This is beginning to happen in places like Iceland and New Zealand and until it starts to happen here inequality will continue, we will get poorer and the rich richer.

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Fi yn unig

I like a game of join the dots to complete a picture and one paragraph gives us the first three. Reform, National Front and British National Party. Add in Tories, Reclaim, Advance, UKIP, (Not the) Voice of Wales, EDL, TNTN (Ten Names Terror Network) and others to complete a picture of the Skull & Crossbones - a symbol of death. Keep well away from children.

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Replying to Amir Cancel

Well said. The other politicians are waking up. Just need our mainstream media to do as well.

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