Starmer rejects claims of Farage obsession, says Reform UK “divides the country”
The Prime Minister has denied the LBC being "obsessed" with Nigel Farage, despite dedicating a large portion of his speech at the Labour Party conference to criticizing the Reform UK leader.
Sir Keir Starmer accused Farage of "not liking" Britain and claimed that Reform’s politics are rooted in "grievance and chaos."
He also stated that the Clacton-on-Sea MP is not interested in resolving the small boats crisis, but rather wants to "exploit" the issue for political advantage.
In an exclusive conference interview, Nick Ferrari challenged Sir Keir on Mr Farage’s claim, questioning if the PM had any "obsession with him."
In response, the Prime Minister said: "He says a lot of things that I don’t agree with.
"I am committed to advocating on behalf of the country I love, this tolerant, beautiful, diverse country where we come together.
"I am deeply concerned about Reform because I fear they will divisively tear our country apart.
"And I’m ready for that battle because I believe it is the defining fight of our times. It touches on the essence of who we are as a nation."
"But you mentioned Mr Farage five times, almost as much as your late father," Nick continued.
"You are mildly obsessed, aren’t you?"
The Prime Minister replied: "No, not at all."
He continued: "There is a political divide unlike anything we’ve seen in this country before.
"Traditionally, it has been Labour versus the Tories. That is not the conflict we face next. This trend is not unique to the United Kingdom, it’s evident across Europe.
"The center-right parties are declining, just like the Tories. It is a different kind of fight, one that addresses a more fundamental question: who are we as a nation?
"It’s crucial that I stand up and defend the country that I love, for which I am a patriot."
Nick also questioned Sir Keir on his efforts to combat the gangs, noting that 400 people arrived in the UK on small boats on Monday.
Sir Keir responded by highlighting that the government was "working really hard" to reduce these numbers and mentioned they were passing a borders bill to grant law enforcement "more power at the border."
"What did Nigel Farage do? He voted against it. We’ve secured a returns deal with France, which means we can send people back to France.
"What does Farage say he’ll do? He says he’ll dismantle it.
"We want to implement ID cards so that illegal work in our economy cannot happen.
"What does Farage do? He opposes it as a common factor here.
Sir Keir added that Mr Farage has no interest in resolving the issue of small boats crossing the Channel, as solving it would reduce his "political currency."
"He doesn’t want to solve the problem. He wants to exploit it. That’s the difference," he concluded.
Politics Editor
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