The Secret Diary Of Nigel Farage: Why He Thinks Marine Le Pen Is Left Wing

26 December 2016, 13:35 | Updated: 18 November 2019, 11:36

The former UKIP leader has told LBC his unusual views on Marine Le Pen, president of the National Front, a national-conservative political party in France.

In an LBC Boxing Day Special entitled "The Secret Diary of Nigel Farage", Nick Ferrari asked the MEP: "She’s painted as an ogre by the media, is she an ogre?"

He added: "How dangerously right is she?" 

In a surprising response Mr Farage said: "She’s quite left actually, economically. Hugely left economically. To win, she needs the trade union vote. Her economic ideas are very, very socialist."

He then offered his predictions for the French presidential election: "Right now I see her winning the first round and I see her scoring low 40s in the second round, right now.

"But who knows what’s going to happen in the next six months? Who knows what’s going to happen to the Italian banking system. After 2016 you'd be a fool to say it's impossible."

Nick quizzed him on what he thinks a win from Le Pen would mean for France. Nigel responded with: "They'd leave the euro and they'd have a referendum on FREXIT, on whether France leaves the European Union."

Summing up his opinion on the controversial politician he said: "Oh yes, she is. I mean look, let me absolutely clear about this. I've never said a bad word about Marine Le-Pen, I've never said a good word about her party. 

"That is my position on this. I think she has tried to make things better within the front national. She's got rid of people who held genuinely extreme positions. I don't agree with her economic analysis at all or her view on trade or many other things.

"It's completely different but she does believe in the sovereignty of France." 

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