News / Politics
Farage: ‘Only Reform can beat the loony left’
The Winner, the classic 1996 single from American rapper Coolio, blared out from speakers towards the end of a Reform rally on Tuesday.
The event at the Old Down Estate in Tockington, owned by Arron Banks, saw Reform UK leader Nigel Farage promise only Banks can “beat the loony left” in the upcoming election.
To kick off the rally, Farage gave a brief introductory speech. He said it would be a “traumatic electoral upset if Banksy wins Bristol”.
is needed now More than ever
Banks, a businessman and investor, had previously tried to use “Banksy for Bristol” as a political campaigning slogan but was prevented due to concerns about copyright.
Nigel Farage visited Tockington on Tuesday to support Arron Banks in his campaign to become the next West of England mayor – photo: Seun Matiluko
In his speech, Farage also made a joke about the recent UK Supreme Court decision that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, asking “how many different genders are there? I don’t know, ask Kier Starmer. At least he now knows what a woman is.”
Farage also encouraged the dozens of Reform supporters at the event to vote in what is anticipated to be an election with a low turnout.
He added: “I would just love to see…quite what the Guardian leader writers would make of a Banks victory, I don’t know.”
Banks is one of six candidates running in the West of England mayoral election on Thursday.
A recent YouGov poll suggests Banks is currently polling ahead of the Conservative, Lib Dem and independent candidates but behind Green and Labour.
Dozens of supporters attended the rally on Tuesday – photo: Seun Matiluko
Farage told Bristol24/7 he thinks the close mayoral race “reflects the modern reality of politics. That we are now making decisions and voting for the parties we really believe in”.
He added: “It’s absolutely fascinating. We are diametrically opposed.
“The Greens’ taxation policies etc, I think would make the country incredibly poor… I think they’re obsessed with carbon dioxide, but do they really understand nature? I’m not sure. I just think they’re a left-wing offshoot of the Labour Party.
“I think our big emphasis really for the last two days are the Gloucestershire Conservatives.
“This is a traditionally very conservative area, but it’s pretty clear Banks is the candidate on the centre-right. If enough Conservatives lend their vote to Arron, he will win.”
There will be four regional mayor elections across the country on Thursday.
Farage said Reform’s “big emphasis” for the last two days of the campaign is on conservatives in Gloucestershire – photo: Seun Matiluko
Polling indicates Reform candidates are currently in the lead in the Greater Lincolnshire and Hull races.
Farage said that if Banks became West of England mayor, he “won’t just be a big figure in Bristol or the West of England. He’ll be a big national figure. Of that, I have no doubt at all because of his personality, because of his track record and because of his prominence in the Brexit campaign.”
Banks co-founded the pro-Brexit Leave.EU campaign group in 2015 with fellow businessman Richard Tice, who is now the deputy leader of Reform.
In 2018 Leave.EU was fined by the Information Commissioner for “serious breaches” of data laws.
Arron Banks recently said the mayoralty is “quite a weak job” – photo: Seun Matiluko
Banks has been vocal about the fact he had to be repeatedly persuaded by Farage to run in the West of England mayoral elections in the first place.
He recently told the Spectator that the mayoralty is “quite a weak job” and also joked to The Times that, if elected, he would “probably appoint a deputy mayor and give him instructions. I’ll direct him from my chateau 30 miles behind the lines and get some results”.
In a conversation with Bristol24/7, Banks said: “ I think it’s a job that’s got almost no power… but I think it is a position where you can shame councils into doing the right thing. So, I think my approach to it is to bully them into doing what they should be doing.”
Banks also explained why he hasn’t attended most of the local hustings, saying that what he’s “tried to do is get out and meet normal people”.
He added: “I actually want to speak to people directly. I tend to find people that go along to hustings are political activists with an axe to grind and not much good comes out of it.”
Main photo: Reform UK
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