Nigel Farage Blasts 'Ludicrous' BBC Interview After Andrew Marr Grills Him Over Past Comments

Brexit Party leader quizzed on a second referendum, the NHS, Vladimir Putin and more.
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Nigel Farage hit out at a “ludicrous” BBC interview on Sunday after he was forced to explain a series of his past positions.

The Brexit Party leader was questioned over why he had once appeared to back a Norway-style Brexit and suggested a second referendum might be needed.

Farage is now campaigning for a no-deal exit and has described holding another public vote as a “betrayal”.

In a combative interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Farage was also grilled on his views on climate change, privatising the NHS, preventing people with HIV from entering the country, relaxing gun control laws and whether he admired Vladimir Putin.

Farage accused Marr of being “not interested” in the upcoming vote. “This is absolutely ludicrous. I have never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview,” he said.

Speaking about the elections on May 23, Farage said the “only way” to now deliver on the referendum result was to “leave on WTO terms”.

He claimed if the UK left with no-deal the EU would then be “banging our door down to have a sensible tariff-free deal”.

John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said the Brexit Party leader’s “car crash interview” exposed “the frightening prospect for our community if Farage got anywhere near power”.

Farage argued a no-deal exit was worth it even if it caused “short-term economic disruption” as “moving house leads to short-term disruption”.

“If we had a second referendum, I think Leave would win by a bigger margin,” he added.

An Opinium survey for the MEP selections showed Labour second with 21% and the Lib Dems in third position with 12%. The Tories have dropped into fourth place with 11% support.

A bombshell ComRes poll also suggested Farage’s party has overtaken the Conservatives for the first time in a general election survey.

That level of support would see the Brexit Party win 49 seats, becoming the UK’s second biggest party after Labour, with 137.

Asked if he wanted to be prime minister, Farage told Marr: “No, not particularly.”

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