LBC presenter James O’Brien has been accused by Nigel Farage of “inciting violence” and hatred with his personal attacks on the Reform UK leader.
Farage was speaking days after O’Brien, 52, had suggested in a LBC broadcast that Farage, 60, was in part to blame for inflaming tensions after the Southport killings last month.
The Reform UK leader was being interviewed for Chopper’s Political Podcast at his party conference where he had said that people were welcome in the UK if they supported British values of tolerance.
Asked about how he would convince critics like O’Brien who say “stokes division”, Farage took aim at the LBC presenter, saying: “I think he’s someone that incites violence.”
The Reform UK leader was being interviewed for Chopper’s Political Podcast at his party conference
GB News
Challenged that O’Brien might deny that claim, Farage continued: “He has been caused so much hatred towards me. It’s just not true.
“You know, I might have been criticised in the past for attacking people in the European Parliament. All I ever did was tease them. Some of these people, some of what’s being said in media and being repeated out there in the streets, particularly since the riots, is really …”
Asked directly if his rhetoric had fueled the riots after the Southport killings last month, Farage replied: “Absolute rot. They know it, I know it. I said, after 48 hours, please tell us the truth.
“And then last week, blow me down if Lord Carlile, the Lib Dem [peer], didn’t say exactly the same thing as me. Government should level with people, not hide behind the excuse.”
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James O’Brien ‘incites violence and hatred against me’, says Nigel Farage
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Farage, who also presents a three nights a week show on GB News, added the lack of information after the attacks in which three children were killed and a further eight were injured made the riots worse.
Farage said: “Do you know what? If they listened to me, I’m not sure the riots would have happened if the truth had been out.
“The reason the riots happened is because the social media was full of wild conspiracy theories whilst the government and police kept silent.
“I don’t think they understand the power and speed of social media. You know, the world has changed.”
O’Brien did not respond to a request for comment.
Christopher Hope asked Farage if his rhetoric had fueled the riots after the Southport killings last month
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In the LBC broadcast O’Brien asked listeners “have you ever had violent race riots named after you or indeed been accused by the head of the Met of emboldening the racist thugs responsible” while Farage was reportedly in the same studio.
Earlier this month Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, gave a speech at a conference organised by the Counter Extremism Group think tank. In it, he spoke out against the danger of an “information vacuum” following such an atrocity.
Hall said: “One of the problems and the consequences of the Southport attack was that there was an information gap, a vacuum, which was filled with false speculation.”
Lord Carlile of Berriew, a Liberal Democrat peer, also said that more information should be made public when somebody is arrested.