Nigel Farage admits getting caught up in Andrew Tate's misinformation following Southport attack

6 August 2024, 17:19 | Updated: 6 August 2024, 18:43

Nigel Farage has admitted he got caught up in misinformation circulating from influencers including Andrew Tate in the wake of the Southport attack.

Speaking exclusively with Tom Swarbrick at Drive, the Reform UK leader denied saying the police lied about whether the Southport attacker was known to them, but insisted the public "weren't told the truth".

Farage took to X in the hours after the attack, which killed three young girls, to reference 'sources" that said the attacker was an immigrant who had crossed the channel in a boat.

"I hadn't got a clue," Farage said when pushed by Swarbrick on whether he knew the material he was sharing was misinformation.

“Some reports suggest the attacker was known to the security services,” Farage admitted the MP.

"I asked for the fake news to be knocked down; I asked for the truth to be told," he told Tom Swarbrick.

The Reform UK leader said: "One of the reasons the Southport riots were as bad as they were is we weren't told the truth.

"There were stories online from some very prominent folks with big followings, Andrew Tate, etcetera, suggesting the man had crossed the English Channel in October 2023.

"Other suggestions he was an active Muslim."

Watch Again: Tom Swarbrick speaks to Nigel Farage | 06/08

He later added: "What I asked for was clarity. We didn't get clarity and I would argue I would argue that what happened in Southport would not have been of the same magnitude had the truth been told and told very, very quickly.

"It wasn't for many hours."

Despite the comments, Farage insisted "I've always been 1000 miles away from far-Right conspiracy theorists".

Noting he left UKIP as the leadership "encouraged Tommy Robinson to be a part of' the party", Farage

Moments later, the MP for Clacton described mass immigration the worst "social deconstructions we've seen in the history of these islands".

It follows former counter-terrorism police chief, Neil Basu, saying Farage had helped incite violence that broke out in the wake of the Southport attack.

Citing sources including controversial influencer Andrew Tate, the Reform UK leader told rioters to stop, adding: “I condemn all acts of political violence”.

“I have never been involved in street protest, I have never been involved in violence,” Farage said.

He also believes he does not expect to be arrested.

When probed by Swarbrick on why he cited fake news reports, he replied: "Because the people wanted to know the truth and if they had known the truth, Tom, the riots would not have been of the same magnitude.

On so-called 'two-tier policing', Farage answered saying that police forces in this country are "terrified of being accused of being racist."

"All I can do is what all of us do - look at the facts before us. The evidence before us and and draw conclusions, and I draw the conclusion that we have two tier policing."

Read more: Nigel Farage refuses to apologise over claims made about Southport attacker being known to police

Read more: From boy, 14, to pensioner, 69: 100 people charged over riots named

Commenting on the scale of the riots, the Reform leader said they were "by far the worse" since 2011.

"I think 2011 was a mass outbreak of criminality, opportunistic criminality.

"This is different. "

These are two sides with deeply entrenched positions."

Today is the seventh day of escalating disorder following the fatal stabbing attack in Southport.

Disorder has now lasted for a week, with unrest witnessed across England and in parts of Northern Ireland.

Courts could begin sitting through the night a minister has suggested, as thousands of specialist police officers stand ready to deal with the rioting.

Addressing the nation over the weekend, PM Keir Starmer vowed rioters would "regret" engaging in "far-right thuggery" and promised those involved in unrest would "face the full force of the law".

There have so far been more than 420 arrests.