Reform UK’s deputy leader says racism claims about Nigel Farage from fellow pupils are ‘made-up twaddle’ – UK politics live | Politics

Labor has described Richard Tice’s claim that people who say Nigel Farage was racist or antisemitic towards them as a teenager at school are lying (see 9.22am) as “pathetic”.

Anna TurleyThe Labor leader made the statement following an interview with Tice on the Today programme.

It took serious courage for the victims of Nigel Farage’s alleged racism to come forward and tell their stories.

It is utterly deplorable that Farage refuses to categorically deny it and says he cannot remember everything that happened at school, yet Richard Tice denies this and suggests they are lying.

Instead of changing their stories repeatedly, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice must urgently apologize to those who bravely raised these serious concerns. He wants to drag our reform politics into a dark place and this shows that they are unfit for high office.

Wes StreetThe Health Secretary has ordered a clinical review of the diagnosis of a mental health condition, Nadeem Badshah reports.

Ministers seek to increase police use of police face Recognition is for fighting crime and people are being asked how it should be used to create new laws, PA Media reported. PA says:

A 10-week consultation is being launched asking for views on how technology should be regulated and how people’s privacy should be protected.

The government is also proposing to create a regulator to monitor police use of e-cigarettes. face Using recognition, biometrics and other tools, it gathers opinions on what powers it should have.

police minister sarah jones described face He said it had helped catch thousands of criminals, making it known as “the biggest breakthrough in catching criminals since DNA matching”.

“We will expand its use so forces can put more criminals behind bars and tackle crime in their communities,” he said.

According to the Home Office, the Metropolitan police arrested 1,300 people using it. face More than 100 registered sex offenders were found to be in breach of their license conditions in the last two years.

But the technology has come under criticism after the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced its policy on the Met police’s use of live cameras. face Earlier this year, he called recognition of the technology “illegal.”

The equality watchdog said rules and safeguards around Britain’s largest police force’s use of the technology “fell inadequate” and could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights when used at protests.

Ministers have postponed elections for new mayors in four regions of England, prompting accusations from opposition parties that Downing Street is “cancelling democracy”. Eleni Courea reports.

Good morning. Nigel FarageThe Reform UK leader has responded differently at different times to statements made by some of his contemporaries at Dulwich College in south London that he was racist and anti-Semitic as a teenager. The allegations ranged from saying he may have been “joking” by using language that would be considered offensive 50 years later, to saying the allegations were completely unfounded. There’s a good summary here.

But today Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader went further, accusing at least one of Farage’s critics of lying and describing the memoirs as “made-up nonsense” motivated by political prejudice.

Tice was being interviewed on the Today show. Emma Barnett About the decision to postpone some mayoral elections in England. Tice He repeatedly called the decision “dictatorial,” and after a good discussion about the election, barnett He used the mention of dictators as a clue to ask about Nigel Farage (who was Jewish) and Hitler. He outlined some of the stories about Farage that stood out in the Guardian’s latest investigation, including Farage telling a Jewish student “Hitler was right”, and asked whether such language could amount to racist abuse.

Tice He said it would happen. But he continued:

I can’t believe anyone said this.

barnett he asked: “Is your leader included?” And Tice continued:

Yes. This is all nonsense made up by people who don’t want Nigel to be Prime Minister of the country. It’s funny how they don’t remember this three years ago, six years ago, 10 years ago.

barnett He pointed out that former student Peter Ettedgui, who remembered Farage telling him “Hitler was right”, remembered this years ago. He said he’s talked about this issue with people like Michael Crick, who first reported some of these allegations more than a decade ago. Barnett said people who experience racist abuse don’t forget it because it’s “imprinted in your memory.”

However Tice doubled. He said:

This is nonsense made up by someone with a politically biased motive.

And let me tell you this; No one has opposed antisemitism more than Nigel and I. We were the ones who said right after October 7th that we were very concerned about the protests, the pro-Palestinian protests, that were fueling hatred, anti-Semitism and violence.

barnett He said Tice accused Ettedgui of lying. “Yes,” Tice he replied.

barnett he continued: “But don’t you know this?”

And Tice replied:

I think this is bullshit made up by a bunch of people with a political ax to grind.

And voters go to by-elections every week and vote Reform because they don’t buy this left-wing, anti-Nigel narrative.

‘Brave’ might be one of the words that could reflect Tice’s approach in this interview. Readers can probably think of others. This is certainly not a strategy that someone who has previously sought advice from a libel lawyer would adopt.

Here is the agenda of the day.

9.30: Cabinet Office minister and chief secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, Darren Jones, answers questions in the House of Commons.

Morning: Kemi Badenoch visits west London.

Morning: Keir Starmer meets Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Downing Street.

11.30: A lobby briefing is being held in Downing Street.

Afternoon: The final report of the investigation into the death of Dawn Sturgess, killed in the Salisbury novichok Russian nerve agent attack, has been published. Security minister Dan Jarvis is expected to make a statement to MPs on the issue.

Afternoon: Starmer and Støre will visit RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to explain the measures to be taken against Russian submarine attacks.

Afternoon: Starmer is visiting Glasgow for an event with Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar, where they will highlight budget measures that will benefit Scotland.

At some point today, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address MPs and colleagues in parliament as part of a state visit.

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