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Nigel Farage urges Jeremy Corbyn to join anti-EU campaign Nigel Farage urges Jeremy Corbyn to join anti-EU campaign
(about 4 hours later)
Nigel Farage has appealed for Jeremy Corbyn to join him in calling for Britain to leave the EU as he kicked off Ukip’s referendum campaign.Nigel Farage has appealed for Jeremy Corbyn to join him in calling for Britain to leave the EU as he kicked off Ukip’s referendum campaign.
Farage said the impact the Labour leadership frontrunner was having showed the political left was “waking up to what the EU is”. The Ukip leader said the impact the Labour leadership frontrunner was having showed the political left was “waking up to what the EU is”. He also reiterated his determination to play a key role in the national vote, dismissing suggestions that he was a “Marmite” personality who could harm the chances of Brexit. Farage made the comments as he launched the party’s referendum campaign in central London.
The Ukip leader also reiterated his determination to play a key role in the national vote, dismissing criticism that he is a “Marmite” personality who could harm the chances of Britain’s exit from the EU. He said he planned to tour the country from now until the referendum, which is scheduled to take place before the end of 2017.
His comments came during a phone-in on LBC radio ahead of the party’s formal campaign launch in London . Corbyn’s election as Labour leader was “all but certain”, Farage said, arguing that his influence could be decisive. “I don’t really find myself in agreement with anything with Jeremy Corbyn. However, under his leadership … I am absolutely confident there is going to be a proper debate about the European Union that goes on within the centre left of British politics,” he said.
Farage said he was planning to go “on tour” around the country from now until the referendum, which is scheduled to take place before the end of 2017. “I welcome a Corbyn victory. And yes, even though we disagree on almost everything, I’d love to share a platform with him in the runup to this referendum. So we will do whatever it takes to try and get the result.”
Research by Survation for the British Future thinktank indicated that Farage’s emphasis on immigration could put off floating voters. But the MEP said his name was not even mentioned in the polling, and blamed “soft Conservative Eurosceptics” for trying to damage him. Research by the Survation for the British Future thinktank indicated Farage’s emphasis on immigration could turn off floating voters. But the MEP said his name had not been mentioned in the polling, and instead blamed Conservative Eurosceptics for trying to damage him.
“You have to understand there are certain people in Westminster who are not happy that I am launching this nationwide tour today,” Farage said. “Some of the rather posher set. There are some sort of soft Conservative Eurosceptics who think they should be in charge of the campaign and they can manage it all from a few streets in Westminster. “Far from us trying to badmouth or push people away, we’re try to bring people together,” he said. “I accept not everyone is going to think Ukip is fantastic or I’m fantastic ... But that’s why we need the centre left, whether it’s Corbyn or somebody else, appealing to those voters as well.”
“They have been trying since May to say ‘Nigel is divisive and Nigel is this and Nigel is that’ … my name isn’t even mentioned in the opinion poll. It was taken during the general election at a moment when Ukip was being demonised and it is being dragged out to coincide with our launch.” Farage played down the prospect of Corbyn winning back support from Ukip. But he said having a Labour leader who was “north London, bicycles, non-drinker, that kind of thing” would mean there was “no point” people voting Green.
Asked if he was a “Marmite” politician, Farage said: “I don’t think that’s right. I have got an opinion. Some people will agree with it and some people will disagree with it. At least they know what I stand for.” In a phone-in on LBC radio, Farage criticised Tories for trying to push him out of the referendum battle. “You have to understand there are certain people in Westminster who are not happy that I am launching this nationwide tour today – some of the rather posher set,” he said. “There are some sort of soft Conservative Eurosceptics who think they should be in charge of the campaign and they can manage it all from a few streets in Westminster.
Farage said he thought leftwinger Corbyn – who has gone from rank outsider to hot favourite in the Labour leadership race – was similar to him in that they both appealed to those outside the “Westminster village”. “They have been trying since May to say ‘Nigel is divisive and Nigel is this and Nigel is that’ ... my name isn’t even mentioned in the opinion poll. It was taken during the general election at a moment when Ukip was being demonised and it is being dragged out to coincide with our launch.”
“Here is a bloke who stands up and says what he believes,” he said. “I don’t believe in very much of it. However, I noticed last night on that final debate held on Sky that when the EU question came up he was very critical. Asked if he was a Marmite-style politician, one who divides opinion, Farage said: “I don’t think that’s right. I have got an opinion. Some people will agree with it and some people will disagree with it. At least they know what I stand for.”
“I think the left of British politics is waking up to what the EU is. They have seen Greece trampled upon, they see a transatlantic trade treaty which they are worried could threaten the viability of the NHS. And what I am going to say at my meeting today is that, far from being divisive, I actually want to bring together all the different Eurosceptic elements in this country. Let’s forget about left and right, that is irrelevant. The Ukip leader predicted the referendum would be fought in three main areas, and control over Britain’s borders would be the dominant issue. “The first is this basic point about self-government and democracy. Are we good enough to make our own laws and negotiate our own trade deals, or do we need this to be done at Brussels level?” he said.
“I hope Corbyn wins, because I think under him there will be a proper debate on the left of British politics in this referendum on what the EU is.” “A subset of that is can we control our own borders or not, and that I think will be the dominating issue of the campaign. The third area is money – a huge number of people out there are furious that we are giving £55m a day to this organisation whose accounts have not been signed off for a couple of decades.”