Nigel Farage will get irate as he tries to elucidate flip-flopping after profit cave-in
Nigel Farage claimed ‘being clever doesn’t work’ as he was pressed over Reform’s confusing position on the two-child benefit cap – as he explained why he caved in
Nigel Farage has whined that “being clever doesn’t work” after being challenged over Reform’s flip-flopping on the two-child benefit cap.
During an awkward radio exchange, the party leader insisted he was right when he called for the Tory-era measure to be scrapped. But he said he had caved in after being branded a “welfarist” and claimed it is “obviously impossible” to be pro-family in modern Britain.
In February Reform MPs voted to keep the cap, despite Mr Farage previously saying getting rid of it was the right thing to do. And the party now plans to bring the cruel policy – limiting benefits for families with more than two kids – back if it gets into power.
Nearly 500,000 children are expected to be lifted out of poverty after Labour abolished the Tory-era restriction. Asked to explain his party’s position, Mr Farage told the BBC’s Today Programme: “I made a mistake on this. I tried to do something pro-family. That’s obviously impossible in modern Britain.
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“What I said was I would like British working families where both people are in full time work to get some tax credits if they had more kids. And for my sins, I was accused of being a welfarist. So I’ve had to admit defeat.”
Despite this he insisted he was right to oppose the cap – even though he would bring it back if he became Prime Minister. Asked by host Justin Webb whether he now accepted he was wrong, Mr Farage complained: “No, I was right.
“But sadly nuanced doesn’t work, being clever doesn’t work. And actually, at the moment, being pro-family is a very difficult position. “
Mr Webb asked who defeated him, to which the party leader responded: “Oh. Just everybody. Public opinion, even the tone of your question today.” Pressed on whether Tory turncoat Robert Jenrick, Mr Farage’s pick for Chancellor, had defeated him, he said: “I was defeated by mass opinion of press, of everybody else.”
A confused Mr Webb then asked: “So why don’t you just stick to your guns? I don’t understand that. You are a powerful person, you are a very powerful person within your party. Why have you not stuck to your guns if you feel so strongly about it.”
Mr Farage responded: “I’ve dozens of political battles to fight, and if you do something that just is not understood because you’ve tried to be too cute about it, sometimes better to drop it and move on. Hey, there’s much else to talk about.”
In February MPs voted 458-104 to abolish the cap. The result came despite opposition from Reform and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, said at the time: “This is about changing the story of children’s lives. It’s about giving every child a genuine shot at life – so they can do well at school, stay healthy, and go on to contribute to their community as adults.”
