'You're lying, Nigel': Oldham street cleaner grills Farage over claim there are 'streets in town where nobody speaks English'

Charlotte Hall
Thu, 13 June 2024

-Credit: (Image: PA)

A street cleaner from Oldham challenged Nigel Farage following comments he made about streets in Oldham where he claimed 'no one speaks English'. The man, named only as Mike, called Nick Ferrari's LBC show this morning (Thursday) and accused the Reform UK leader of lying.

It comes after Oldhamers defended their hometown and dubbed Mr Farage's comments 'stupid and inaccurate' following his appearance on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on June 4.

Mike said: "I think you're talking a pack of lies, Nigel. You made a statement, you [could] name a street that can't speak English. The last 10 years of my working life, I've worked for Oldham street cleaning. And the biggest Asian area is Glodwick.

READ MORE: The people of Oldham have reacted to Nigel Farage's comments - and haven't held back

"Now I don't know a street in Glodwick where the whole population couldn't speak English. Many people couldn't, but not the whole street."

Mr Farage claimed he was 'very clear' people in the healthcare industry had told him 'the numbers not even bothering to learn English were alarming'. Mr Ferrari challenged the politician, saying: "But this gentleman works in Oldham, surely he knows better than you."

Oldham streets (stock image) -Credit:Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News

Residents, councillors and MPs hit back at Mr Farage's comments. When the Manchester Evening News visited the streets of Glodwick last week, people strongly refuted his claims.

Mahbub Alom, 33, laughed at Mr Farage's comments and said: "It's a joke... a bad joke. As a local shopkeeper, I know better than anyone else. I serve the Pakistani, Bengali and even Jamaican. For anybody who believes Farage, tell them to come and visit, see for yourself."

Teacher Adila Rafa, 25, said MR Farage's comment was 'just bullsh**'. "There are schools on every corner, and surely we get educated and learn the language," she said. "We need people to stop believing stupidity."

Samir Reman, 47, felt the town said: "We're three to four generations in now, though. Everyone has been born, raised and educated in this country. If you spoke to me over the phone, you wouldn't even think I was Asian."