Nigel Farage prevented from speaking at farmer rally because of his ‘divisive role in Brexit’

Basit Mahmood

Today

Left Foot Forward

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was prevented from speaking at the recent farmers’ protest outside Downing Street, amid concerns it would become the ‘Farage show’

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was prevented from speaking at the recent farmers’ protest outside Downing Street, amid concerns it would become the ‘Farage show’ and also over his divisive role in Brexit which undermined farmers.

The Guardian reports that ‘representatives of all parties were originally invited to speak, according to organisers of a protest at which tens of thousands of farmers listened to Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey and other speakers, including the journalist Jeremy Clarkson’.

It adds: “However, the Guardian understands that while the Reform UK leader was initially considered, organisers omitted him from the line-up because they did not want the protest to become the “Nigel Farage show”.

It is understood that farmers wanted the event to be as apolitical as possible to encourage broad support for their protest, as they lobby the government to change its mind on the changes to inheritance tax that mean farmers with assets over £1m will be subject to a 20% levy.

The paper also alleges that farmers were not happy about Farage’s role in Brexit which ‘resulted in trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that undercut farmers, and cuts to subsidies’.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward