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Nigel Farage EU Leave fishing flotilla sails up Thames Thames: Nigel Farage and Sir Bob Geldof fishing flotilla clash
(about 1 hour later)
A flotilla of fishing boats is sailing up the Thames to Parliament to make the case for leaving the EU and for "reclaiming UK waters". Nigel Farage and Sir Bob Geldof have traded insults in a nautical battle over the EU referendum.
The so-called armada, organised by Fishing for Leave, left the Kent port of Ramsgate early on Friday and expects to reach Westminster during Prime Minister's Questions at 12:30 BST. Mr Farage led a flotilla of fishing boats up the Thames to urge Parliament take back control of British waters.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage is on board one of the vessels. But his Brexit armada was greeted by a rival Remain fleet carrying Sir Bob.
Remain crafts backing EU membership have also taken to the water. The rock star yelled that the UKIP leader was "no fisherman's friend".
A handful of dinghies and other vessels bearing In flags sought to "intercept" the Leave flotilla as it passed under Tower Bridge. Mr Farage accused Sir Bob of "mocking" impoverished fishermen.
Former pop star Sir Bob Geldof and broadcaster Rachel Johnson, sister of Leave supporting MP Boris Johnson, are among those on a Remain vessel - which has been playing the song "The In Crowd" over loud speakers. The UKIP leader's flotilla, organised by Fishing for Leave, left the Kent port of Ramsgate early on Friday and reached Westminster during Prime Minister's Questions at 12:30 BST.
There have been reports of brief, light-hearted skirmishes, including the exchange of hose fire. A handful of dinghies and other vessels bearing In flags sought to "intercept" the Leave flotilla as it passed under Tower Bridge, with the vessel carrying former pop star Sir Bob playing the song "The In Crowd" over loud speakers.
There were reports of brief, light-hearted skirmishes, including the exchange of hose fire and a police launch got involved to keep them apart on the Thames outside Parliament while Prime Minister's Questions took place inside.
Addressing Mr Farage over a PA system as his boat, the Sarpedon, pulled alongside the boat carrying the UKIP leader, Mr Geldof called Mr Farage a "fraud".
"Here are the facts about fishing. One, Britain makes more money than any other country in Europe from fishing. Two, Britain has the second largest quota for fish in Europe after Denmark. Three, Britain has the third largest landings. Four, you are no fisherman's friend.
"You were on the European Parliament Fishing Committee and you attended one out of 43 meetings."
'Shameful sight'
Mr Farage branded Sir Bob's counter protest "just disgusting... disgraceful" and said he wanted the UK to get back the rights to its own fish.
"These are communities that have been devastated. These are communities that no-one has listened to for years.
"They are here today, they have taken - some of them - several days out of their working week to come and make their protest, to say, 'Look, we want to take back control of our seas, we want to get jobs back in this industry.'
"To see multi-millionaires frankly mocking them is a pretty shameful sight."
A group of 30 Leave boats set off before first light, stopping at Southend and Gravesend to pick up passengers before mooring at the Pool of London at 11:00 BST, having passed underneath Tower Bridge.A group of 30 Leave boats set off before first light, stopping at Southend and Gravesend to pick up passengers before mooring at the Pool of London at 11:00 BST, having passed underneath Tower Bridge.
A dozen vessels have been given permission to continue on to Westminster in time for the conclusion of PMQs, the last before the referendum on EU membership on 23 June.A dozen vessels have been given permission to continue on to Westminster in time for the conclusion of PMQs, the last before the referendum on EU membership on 23 June.
Mr Farage rejected claims it was a publicity stunt, saying it was a "full-throttled protest" against what he claimed was the "destruction" of the UK's fishing industry by EU membership.Mr Farage rejected claims it was a publicity stunt, saying it was a "full-throttled protest" against what he claimed was the "destruction" of the UK's fishing industry by EU membership.
"There are now many harbours without a single commercial vessel...Compare and contrast all of this with Norway who control all fishing stocks up to two hundred miles within the North Sea and has a booming commercial and angling tourism industry.""There are now many harbours without a single commercial vessel...Compare and contrast all of this with Norway who control all fishing stocks up to two hundred miles within the North Sea and has a booming commercial and angling tourism industry."
And he claimed the counter-demonstration was "just disgusting".
"These are communities that have been devastated. These are communities that no-one has listened to for years.
"They are here today, they have taken - some of them - several days out of their working week to come and make their protest, to say 'look, we want to take back control of our seas, we want to get jobs back in this industry'.
"To see multi-millionaires frankly mocking them is a pretty shameful sight."
Shadow Environment Secretary Kerry McCarthy said being in the EU was good for British fishermen as it gave them access to Europe's fishing waters and their boats are able to land and sell their catch in any EU country.Shadow Environment Secretary Kerry McCarthy said being in the EU was good for British fishermen as it gave them access to Europe's fishing waters and their boats are able to land and sell their catch in any EU country.
She blamed the Conservative government for failing to ensure more smaller enterprises did not benefit from the UK's catch quota and that reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, not Brexit, was what was needed.She blamed the Conservative government for failing to ensure more smaller enterprises did not benefit from the UK's catch quota and that reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, not Brexit, was what was needed.
"To protect fish stocks and the livelihoods that depend upon them, we need a European-wide collective approach. We cannot risk a return to the bad old days where fish stocks were declining so fast that there were species on the verge of extinction.""To protect fish stocks and the livelihoods that depend upon them, we need a European-wide collective approach. We cannot risk a return to the bad old days where fish stocks were declining so fast that there were species on the verge of extinction."