‘I used to be referred to as a c**t after I wrecked Nigel Farage’s election occasion’

The Mirror’s John Stevens has revealed how he was called a “c**t” after he wrecked an election party hosted by Nigel Farage.

Speaking on The Division Bell podcast, he told how he got on the wrong side of the former Ukip leader at the bash in 2015.

Supporters of Mr Farage gathered at a hotel in Margate in Kent on the night of the General Election as he waited to see if he’d been successful in his seventh attempt to become an MP. But at dawn it became increasingly apparent that he had been beaten by the Conservatives in South Thanet.

When John, who had spent the election campaign following Mr Farage, went downstairs in the hotel to use the toilet he spotted a pyramid of champagne glasses put out ready to toast his victory.

He posted a picture of them on Twitter with the caption: “These champagne glasses may no longer be needed at Nigel Farage’s election party.”

Talking to Division Bell co-host Sam Lister, he said: “There was obviously loads of tension and the night went on for ages because I think they had to recount the vote several times because it was very tight.

“There was this dining table set up with this small pyramid of champagne glasses ready to toast his victory. And obviously, as an enterprising journalist, I took a picture of the wine glasses with champagne glasses and put it on Twitter [and said] I don’t think these would be needed, which obviously sent the UKIP people mad.

“From then on, they stopped journalists from being able to use the toilets in the hotel as punishment for my crime… Every time someone went to ask to go down to the toilet, they were told by security, ‘You can’t use the toilets because of that c**t John Stevens’.”

The episode also sees Sam and John clash over Labour’s plan to end tax breaks for private schools. Sam, who is the Political Editor of the Express, says the policy is a “tax on aspiration” and accuses the party of stoking a “class war”.

New episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the General Election campaign, with a special edition on the morning after polling day.