In what can only be described as the most bizarre episode in the general election campaign so far, Nigel Farage has been discussing EU fisheries policy with Joey Essex. On a fishing boat. In Grimsby.
The Ukip leader told Essex that the Humberside fishing town was “symbolic of what’s gone wrong”
In the tone of a school teacher explaining that one plus one equals two, Farage told the reality television star: “If we’d come here four years ago, there were thousands of men working here, a massive trawler fleet, big fish filleting factories.
Can the General Election campaigns get any weirder than this?
“It was the biggest fishing port in the country.
“We joined the European Union, we now have to share all our fish with all the other European countries - which I think rightfully should be ours.”
Essex, famed for his role on The Only Way Is Essex, admitted that he wasn’t clued up on the subject but said that he had worked at London’s Billingsgate fish market when he was younger.
Honestly, we're all confused by what's happening here
Farage, who confessed that he had never actually seen TOWIE, responded by telling him that Grimsby’s fish market is “tiny” “compared to what it was.”
He continued: “But across the other side of the north sea in Norway they have got a 200 mile fishing limit, all the fish in that 200 miles is theirs. What I’m saying is that’s what we want.
“I’d like to see Billingsgates everywhere, not just in London.”
Essex replied: “Wicked.”
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Farage added: “We want a bigger fishing industry, I don’t see why we should be importers of fish.
“Most of the cod that you buy in the fish and chip shop is bought in Iceland. That’s crackers. We should be able to catch it here.”
Essex went on to describe Farage as a “really really reem guy”.
The new pals then went on to board a fishing boat for a ride around the Humber.
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Nigel Farage and Joey Essex In Grimsby
Ahead of the trip Farage claimed: "I'm not a big believer in health and safety. I'm more of a risk taker."
He then proceeded to don a life jacket.
And in possibly the most horrifying moment of all, one reporter asked Nigel Farage if he knew what a vajazzle was.
Thankfully the Ukip leader replied “no”.
He also admitted that he had “not got round to” a pre-election fake tan.
Essex is meeting the four top political leaders as part of a programme for ITV2.
He explained: "I don't really understand much about the political life...I'm just trying to show the youth that it's a good thing to vote."
Many people on Twitter voiced their shock, disbelief and downright confusion at the bizarre meeting.
Chris Robertson tweeted: “Joey Essex and Nigel Farage in Grimsby. That's the most bizarre duo ever.”
Sophie Oglesby said: “Nigel Farage & Joey Essex meeting in Grimsby is just too strange for my mind to comprehend this morning.”
Emma Huggins simply added: “Eh?!”
Essex has previously met the leader of the “Liberal Demo-cats”, who had to explain that he was not in fact called “Mr Legg”.
Farage has also unveiled his party’s election poster for Grimsby, featuring a fisherman alongside the word “gutted”.
Public figures analysed by the Financial Times last year showed that Farage attended only one of 42 meetings of the fisheries committee on which he sat for three years.