Nigel Farage’s interview on BBC Radio 4 has sparked backlash
The has sparked another “bias” row after Emma Barnett grilled in a tense interview on .
The topics of the success of and Farage’s relationship with billionaire came up, with Barnett being accused of a “hatchet job” against the leader.
One tense moment saw Farage hit out at for “cosying up” to the EU rather than focus on transatlantic deals, as Barnett asked: “Doesn’t it show you that he is following his own manifesto at an election he won? He talked about improving the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU and that seemed to be go down pretty well with voters.”
Farage responded: “Well, yes, but if that means siding up to EU, that certainly wasn’t explicit in his manifesto… I found the symbolism a bit disturbing,” as Barnett cut in: “What I am getting at is, Labour won, it is in their manifesto to improve an investment relationship with the EU, why is that a bad move?”
Emma Barnett and Nigel Farage clashed over Starmer and the EU
Farage then explained that if the UK continued “tying ourselves to an industrial collaboration, we find ourselves with less flexibility when we do deals with countries in America”.
Barnett then asked: “Don’t you care what people think?” as she brought up a UGov survey of 15,000 people by UGov, which showed more people in every constituency in England, Scotland and Wales “back a closer relationship with the EU rather than more transatlantic trade with Washington”.
The Reform leader replied: “It depends how you ask the question, as with all opinion polls, how do you ask the question…”
Barnett interrupted again to scoff: “Well you’re quite a fan of opinion polls that put Reform ahead of Labour and the Conservatives, it does depend on how you ask the question.”
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Listeners rushed to social media to share their fury as columnist Allison Pearson said: “Why didn’t Emma Barnett ask @Nigel_Farage about the extraordinary lead both Reform UK, and Nigel personally, have in the new You Gov poll over both the and the Labour government? It’s a historic moment. Too busy b*tching about and Musk.”
A follower replied: “Poor , they just aren’t coping well with populism (democracy).”
One listener penned: “What an appalling attempted hatchet job on on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. Typical combative journalism and so rude.”
Another raged: “What a waste of time having @Nigel_Farage on this show if all the interviewer is going to do is show the @ BIAS like a typical remoaner. Very poor quality interview, disparaging towards one of the most important UK politicians in early 21st Century.”
A third agreed: ” was just on radio. His party leads the polls, but he was treated like a bad smell. The tone was withering, petulant and sneering, as if the host had to prove her journalistic integrity by – not just ‘roughing up’ Farage – but by intimating he is beyond the pale.”
However, one listener accused the of being biased the other way, as they said: “The news department and the U.K. MEDIA putting all of their efforts and resources into promoting Reform and Farage and discrediting Labour at every turn.”