Nigel Farage branded a ‘pretend patriot’ who voters will reject
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak accused the Reform UK leader of plotting to strip away rights from millions across the country, and relying on ‘gimmicks and stunts’
Nigel Farage was branded a ‘fake patriot’(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Nigel Farage has been branded a “fake patriot” who the public will reject for having “no moral fibre of backbone”.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak accused the Reform UK leader of plotting to strip away rights from millions across the country, and relying on “gimmicks and stunts”.
While Reform UK are leading in the polls, Mr Nowak backed voters to reject them after seeing more of Mr Farage.
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Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Nowak said: “I think he’s a fake patriot. What he is intent on doing is stripping away rights from millions of his fellow citizens. Tell me how that’s patriotic? Tell me how that’s standing up for the working class people of this country.
“The man spends more time at Mar-A-Lago than he does in Clacton, and maybe if he spent more time in Clacton talking to his constituents, he’d realise the issues that really matter to that majority of people. In Clacton, his own constituency. They support a ban on zero hours contracts, support a ban on fire and rehire, and support decent employment rights. Why doesn’t he?
“They want these headlines, they want to find excuses, and play to the culture wars. I think most people in this country are fundamentally decent and fair minded. I think ultimately they’re going to see through Nigel Farage and his gimmicks and his stunts, and his constant flip flopping on issues. The man has got no moral fibre or backbone, and I think that’s reflected in the political decisions he makes. I think the more people see of Nigel Farage, the less they’ll like him”.
Mr Nowak tore into the former banker over his pledge to rip up Labour’s workers rights’ package, which includes bans on exploitative zero hours contracts, and fire and rehire, as well as strengthened sick pay, protections against unfair dismissal and entitlements to parental leave.
The firebrand union leader said he understood why people were voting Reform, and urged the Government to do more to convince them to reject Mr Farage and his cronies.
He said: “Lots of people are disillusioned with mainstream politics. That’s why I think it’s really important that the Government actually delivers the change they promised the British public. That’s the thing that will win people back to Labour, but it’s also important that we expose the gap between what Farage says and what Farage actually does and what Farage actually votes for. And so our job is not to patronise union members or tell them they’re voting the wrong way. It’s to push the government to do a better job and to deliver for working class people.”
Responding, a Reform UK Spokesperson said: “Perhaps Paul should look at the data before making baseless claims. Nigel Farage has been in the public eye for the last 25 years and Reform has still led the last 250 opinion polls. Our crushing victories over the other parties in May will speak for themselves.”
