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Nigel Farage's anti-immigration poster condemned by Gove and Osborne Nigel Farage's anti-immigration poster splits Brexit camps
(about 1 hour later)
Michael Gove and George Osborne have condemned an anti-immigration poster unveiled by Nigel Farage which shows a queue of mostly non-white refugees with the slogan: “Breaking point: the EU has failed us all.” Leading Brexiters have become embroiled in a row over Nigel Farage’s controversial “breaking point” poster as the leave campaign struggles to unite on its key issue of immigration in the final week before the referendum.
Gove, a leading Brexit campaigner, said he shuddered when he saw the image, which has been compared to Nazi propaganda footage of migrants. Osborne said the poster was disgusting and had “echoes of the 1930s”. As David Cameron and George Osborne attempted to hammer home the remain campaign’s economic arguments, leave campaigners Michael Gove and Chris Grayling attacked Farage, the Ukip leader, over his poster’s portrayal of a queue of mostly non-white refugees above the slogan: “Breaking point: the EU has failed us all.”
Gove was interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, which reflected upon the death on Thursday of the Labour MP Jo Cox. Since her killing, her family and many mainstream politicians have called for political discourse to be toned down, particularly around the EU referendum. The leave camp is expected to concentrate on immigration for the final four days of the campaign, while the remain camp will attempt to highlight the economic benefits of staying in.
Gove distanced himself from the poster. He said: “When I saw that poster I shuddered. I thought it was the wrong thing to do.” Gove, the justice secretary, was interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, which reflected upon the death of the Labour MP Jo Cox. Since her killing on Thursday, her family and many mainstream politicians have called for the nature of political discourse to be toned down, particularly around the EU referendum.
“When I saw that poster I shuddered,” Gove said. “I thought it was the wrong thing to do.”
However, he defended the decision by Brexit campaigners to discuss the birthrate of countries such as Turkey. “It is important when we are talking about migration to look at numbers, especially because the birthrate [in Turkey] is so high,” he said.However, he defended the decision by Brexit campaigners to discuss the birthrate of countries such as Turkey. “It is important when we are talking about migration to look at numbers, especially because the birthrate [in Turkey] is so high,” he said.
On ITV’s Peston on Sunday, Osborne said there were legitimate concerns about migration, but added that there were differences between addressing those concerns and whipping up divisions. In a further move meant to demonstrate a different, inclusive approach to immigration, Boris Johnson, speaking at a leave rally, reiterated his position that he would like to see an amnesty for illegal immigrants.
He said: “There are perfectly legitimate concerns about migration … but I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are coming into the country over the next couple of years from Turkey, or saying that dead bodies are going to be washed up on the beaches of Kent, or indeed putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did that had echoes of the 1930s.” “I am in favour of an amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been here for more than 12 years, unable to contribute to this economy, unable to pay taxes, unable to take proper part in society. And I will tell you why; because it is the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing do to,” he said.
The poster’s subheading reads: “We must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders.” The photograph shows migrants crossing the Croatia-Slovenia border in 2015, and the only prominent white person in the image is obscured by a box of text. Osborne, the chancellor, told ITV’s Peston on Sunday that the consequences of Brexit could be “quite a lot worse” for the UK than independent economists have forecast.
Farage denied stoking up hatred, saying he himself was a victim of hatred. “When you challenge the establishment, they go after you,” he said on the Peston programme. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Saturday that Britain could be faced with a long-term hit to its national income of 5.6% if it failed to strike a deal to access the European single market on leaving the EU.
“The central estimate is that our GDP would be 5% to 6% smaller,” said Osborne. “Personally, I think it’s possible it could be quite a lot worse than that. You can’t predict the enormous uncertainty that exiting the EU means for Britain.”
Osborne said there were legitimate concerns about migration, but criticised Brexit campaigners for “whipping up” divisive sentiment with “disgusting” posters.
“I think there is a difference between addressing those concerns in a reasonable way and whipping up concerns, whipping up division, making baseless assertions that millions of people are coming into the country over the next couple of years from Turkey, or saying that dead bodies are going to be washed up on the beaches of Kent – or indeed putting up that disgusting and vile poster that Nigel Farage did that had echoes of the 1930s.”
Farage unveiled the poster in Westminster with the subheading: “We must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders.” The photograph used was of migrants crossing the Croatia-Slovenia border in 2015, with the only prominent white person in the photograph obscured by a box of text.
Ukip’s leader, interviewed by Peston, denied stoking up hatred, adding that he was the victim of hatred. “When you challenge the establishment, they go after you,” he said.
Asked whether he was disturbed by Gove’s criticisms of the poster, Farage said: “They have been doing very strong posters, not only about Turkey but about the number of terrorists and criminals who come into Britain under free movement rules.”Asked whether he was disturbed by Gove’s criticisms of the poster, Farage said: “They have been doing very strong posters, not only about Turkey but about the number of terrorists and criminals who come into Britain under free movement rules.”
Farage said Cox’s death was “an act of terrorism” and had shifted the momentum of the debate. “We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy. It will have an impact on the campaign for everybody,” he said. Farage said Cox’s death was “an act of terrorism” that had shifted the momentum of the debate. “We did have momentum until this terrible tragedy. It will have an impact on the campaign for everybody,” he said.
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was questioned by Marr over Labour’s immigration policies. Asked whether Labour would want to set an upper limit on the number of migrants coming to Britain from the EU, he said: “I don’t think you can have one.” Interviewed later on Sky by Dermot Murnaghan, Farage implied that the poster row had been stoked by the death of Cox. “I wish an innocent MP hadn’t been gunned down, then we wouldn’t have had the debate we’ve had,” he said.
His words may well disappoint some in the remain campaign who have argued that changes could be made to EU rules. The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was questioned by Marr over his party’s immigration policies. Asked if Labour would want to set an upper limit on the number of migrants coming to Britain from the EU, he said: “I don’t think you can have one.”
Corbyn played down suggestions of a split with his deputy, Tom Watson, who said last week that EU free movement rules must change. “Tom and I had a chat about this. What we are agreed on is there has to be a greater equality of working conditions … Workers working alongside each other should have the same rights. They don’t,” he said. His words may well disappoint some on the remain campaign who have argued that changes could be made to EU rules.
Corbyn played down suggestions of a split with his deputy, Tom Watson, who last week said EU free movement rules must change. “Tom and I had a chat about this: what we are agreed on is there has to be a greater equality of working conditions … Workers working alongside each other should have the same rights. They don’t,” he said.