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ITV debate: Farage and Cameron face EU questions | ITV debate: Farage and Cameron face EU questions |
(35 minutes later) | |
Nigel Farage has said he has been "demonised" for his views on immigration as he and David Cameron faced questions in a live EU TV debate. | |
The UKIP leader faced accusations of "inflammatory" scaremongering during exchanges with members of the public. | |
But he insisted there was wide support for "getting a grip" on migration. | |
Mr Cameron said there were "good and bad ways" to handle immigration but he didn't back a "Little England" stance. | |
Mr Farage and Mr Cameron did not debate head-to-head but appeared in turn on the ITV show - each facing half-an-hour of questions on the economy, immigration, security and sovereignty from the 200-strong audience. | |
Making the case for the UK to leave the EU, the UKIP leader argued the EU was "done for" and that even if UK firms had tariffs imposed on them after leaving, this would cost less than the amount the UK was currently giving to Brussels. | |
'Rotten deal' | |
"No deal is better than the rotten deal that we have at the moment," he said. | |
Pressed on his plans to stop EU migrants having the automatic right to live and work in the EU, Mr Farage said he accepted that migrants did make a contribution to the UK economy but said "the real truth is that there is more to life then GDP". | |
Mr Farage defended comments he made about the Cologne sex attacks, which have been criticised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and said there was a "real problem" that the policy of open borders in the EU was increasing the risk of terrorism. | |
"I am used to being demonised because I have taken on the Establishment," he said. | |
"In no other system in the world do we have free movement of people along with free movement of goods. | |
"If you had an Australian points system rather than an open door to 500 million people, it would be better. | |
"There is big support for this amongst ethnic minorities who know this is our only chance to get a grip on this issue." | |
Addressing the same audience, Mr Cameron said he was frustrated by the EU but this was not a justification for walking away, saying he believed in a country that was a "fighter not a quitter". | |
"The right thing to do is to fight for a great Britain in the EU and not take the Little England option of Nigel Farage." | |
'Telling untruths' | |
Claiming the vote was not about his future, he said he would accept the people's instructions. | |
He argued there was a growing consensus that a vote to leave the EU would "put jobs at risk and shrink the economy". | |
The event, staged in the Olympic Park in east London, took place just before the midnight deadline for people to register to vote in the 23 June referendum. | |
At a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Mr Cameron appealed to people to sign up to vote and not to "sit on the sidelines", saying it was a decision that would shape the UK's destiny for years to come. | |
The PM accused Leave campaigners of "telling complete untruths to the British people", including claims the UK's budget rebate was at risk, the UK would be liable to contribute to future EU bailouts and could not stop new countries like Turkey from joining the EU. | The PM accused Leave campaigners of "telling complete untruths to the British people", including claims the UK's budget rebate was at risk, the UK would be liable to contribute to future EU bailouts and could not stop new countries like Turkey from joining the EU. |
The UKIP leader has said that he is standing up for the UK's national interest while Mr Cameron "wants what is best for the EU". | |
Mr Farage is a veteran of high-profile TV showdowns, having debated with former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg ahead of the European elections in 2014 and taken part in the leaders' debate during last year's general election. | |