Up next in 10
00:00 | Ben explains the contradictions in Reform's story
00:40 | Martin says the media is 'deliberately humiliating' Farage
03:59 | Hannah thinks its 'unreasonable' to scrutinise Reform's claims
08:03 | Eileen thinks LBC is wrong for criticising Farage altogether
Nigel Farage didn't attend the vote count for Clacton, despite pulling off a decisive victory.
Despite Reform's press office claiming there was a "credible threat" to Mr Farage, it is understood that Essex Police has not advised any candidate to stay away from the count.
Mr Farage has also cancelled a 10am press conference planned for this morning - with no reason given for the short-notice change.
Ben Kentish has been trying to find out why, much to the chagrin of our callers.
#benkentish #nigelfarage #richardtice #reformuk #clacton #debate #ukpolitics #politics #lbc
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0:00
It's criticism after criticism after criticism
0:04
Why should he not get accountability and scrutiny and questions asked of him in the same way as all other senior politicians do
0:11
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Straight to your calls on what you make of the row that's broken out today about Nigel Farage's failure to turn up to hear the result of the Clacton by-election that he triggered a couple of months ago and has now won
0:25
He wasn't there. First he said, I'm not going, it's demeaning and humiliating. Then reform said the police told him not to go
0:31
Now the police have said, no, we didn't, and it's all a bit of a mess. What's your take on it? Whose story are you buying
0:37
Martin's called from Rotherhithe to kick us off this afternoon. Martin. Afternoon, Ben, how are you
0:42
Afternoon, I'm good, sir, thank you. Hope you're really well, Martin. Thank you. I think, and normally I wouldn't say this
0:48
but I think Nigel Wood's right not to go to the count last night, and the reason for that is from the very start of this by-election campaign
0:54
campaign when it was started there's been a deliberate attempt you know from the political
0:58
other political parties but also certain people in the media to try to humiliate him from the start
1:03
and what they wanted i mean everybody knew he was going to win this seat but what again to hold his
1:09
seat but what people you know the haters wanted last night was for him to scrape over the line
1:15
by maybe a couple of thousand votes and then for him to be stood on the platform afterwards with
1:20
Count Bimface, you know, Fred Flintstone and all the other joke candidates
1:24
that were standing last night with them all baying and shouting at him. And they just wanted total humiliation from the start
1:31
And what they've ended up getting is an increased vote share. And he actually gained, I think, about 1,000 extra votes
1:38
So at the end of the day, the plan didn't work. If I was a voter from another political party
1:46
I'd be asking, why are your parties not fielding candidates? You're supposed to be serious, credible political parties
1:53
And one by one, they just decided not to field candidates. And I actually think that's really poor
1:58
Do you think they come out of this looking worse than Nigel Farage and reform do then, Martin
2:03
In some cases, yes. I mean, we keep hearing about this chemi bounce with the Tories, which, you know
2:09
the only people that seem to be talking about this seems to be Conservative supporters in the media
2:14
Because if you look at the results, every by-election in England since the general election
2:18
the Tories have lost their deposit. I mean, they came behind Restore Britain
2:22
in Manchester a couple of weeks ago. So, you know, we hear about this chemi bounce
2:26
Well, why not put it to the test? You know, we always hear that Nigel was never in Clacton
2:31
He doesn't care about Clacton. Well, the people of Clacton clearly feel very differently
2:36
Yes, they have given him a kind of resounding mandate to continue as their MP, absolutely
2:43
Martin, I get completely why he and his team would be worried about the optics of him standing on a stage
2:50
trumpeting a historic success when he's surrounded by people dressed as all sorts of things, including dustbins
2:57
It's not a good look. I get why they would have wanted to stay away
3:02
Do you buy that the security risk was real or do you think they using that as an excuse That I don know Yeah only the reformed party in Essex Police will know about that
3:13
It should be said, if you look online right now, there are some suggestions that there was a masked mob
3:18
about half a mile away. But who knows, that could have been for something else. I mean, you know, God only knows these days
3:23
You're not safe anywhere, are you? So that could be completely unlinked. But certainly when it comes to humiliating him
3:30
that it has been a deliberate attempt to do that from the start
3:34
And, you know, admittedly, I do like Nigel Farge, but I've also been critical. I've come on LBC and I've criticised him
3:39
when he's said or done something stupid in the past, so I'm not just completely one-eyed about this
3:43
But, you know, most people can see that from the very start of this by-election
3:47
the intention has been to try to humiliate as much as possible
3:52
Thank you, Martin. Good to have you on the programme. Martin in Rotherhide. Hannah's on the line in Colchester this afternoon
3:57
Afternoon, Hannah. Hello. Hi, Hannah. I'm good, thank you. Should Farage have turned up or do you think he was right to stay away
4:05
Absolutely right to stay away. Personal safety has to come first. I think there are credible threats against him
4:12
As you know, former MPs have been murdered, such as Sir David Amess
4:17
I think that people scrutinising him for not turning up is unreasonable
4:23
He's performed really well. also Essex police have now said that they they haven't advised him to attend doesn't necessarily
4:32
mean that information wasn't passed to Nigel ahead of the election encourage him to not go
4:40
so the the understanding that we have um based on what Essex police have said is that they did
4:45
think there was a risk against him that that was communicated to him and his team but at no point
4:50
did they explicitly say to him, we advise you not to go? Which is fine, Hannah, if it weren't for the fact
4:56
that a reform spokesperson explicitly said that the police had advised them not to go
5:02
So someone is not entirely telling the truth about this. Absolutely, and in all honesty
5:08
I think it's more likely that the police aren't saying the truth. And I know that people criticise me for that view, but..
5:15
You think it's more likely that Essex police have lied about this than the reform spokesman got it wrong
5:20
Absolutely. I think with the views, you know, a lot of people do not like Nigel Farage
5:27
Obviously, the people in Clapton do and a lot of people in certain areas do
5:31
But absolutely, I think, you know, he's being humiliated anyway. They're not happy that taxpayers' money have gone on to this vote
5:38
And actually, it's probably quite likely that somebody isn't quite telling the truth
5:43
And I don't think it's Nigel. Sorry, honey. So your allegation is that somebody very senior in Essex Police
5:48
has intentionally lied about security in order to damage Nigel Farage? That's a big allegation
5:55
Not intentionally to damage him, but what I think has happened is
5:59
potentially an officer or somebody in talks with Reform has said, yep, he absolutely shouldn't go. Fair enough
6:08
But I don think Nigel is absolutely lying here I think somebody is strongly influencing not to go Absolutely reasonable and not a shock that he didn turn up
6:23
So why did he say himself then, Hannah? Because this is the bit that's caused some confusion and is kind of raising some questions for reform
6:30
Why did he come out initially and say himself that he wasn't going
6:34
because he thought it would be humiliating and demeaning if he did, not mentioning any security threat at all
6:40
Why would he say that if it was about security? Well, his main candidate is wearing a bin on his head, to be honest
6:48
Well, yeah, it would have been demeaning and humiliating. I totally get that. I think Nigel Farage is right
6:53
But it's the shift in explanation that's confused people, isn't it? Because that was Nigel Farage's initial explanation
7:00
Now it's all about security. So people are left thinking, well, which is it
7:03
Or is it both? Is it one? Is it the other? What's going on here? It's probably both, to be honest
7:10
Maybe. Maybe. Tanner, lovely to talk to you this afternoon. Thank you very much. Indeed. It's not the first
7:14
time, is it, that reform is sort of being brought under pressure and scrutiny because of a shifting
7:20
explanation. It's very similar to what happened with that £5 million gift, where first it was
7:25
about security, and then it was a reward, and then it was about Brexit. And it was the sort of
7:29
the inconsistency in the answers and the explanations that has ended up getting them
7:33
into rubble. And so too with this. If Nigel Farage had just come out initially and said
7:37
I'm not going to the count because there's a security risk against me. It would have sort of been far less challenged, I think, that decision
7:46
than the fact that he didn't say that. He said, I'm not going because it's demeaning
7:50
Only for a spokesperson to come out later and say, no, no, no, that's not true
7:53
We were advised not to buy for the police. Only for the police to then say, no, that's not the case
7:58
We didn't say that. Hence, we're in this kind of confusion about what's happened
8:02
Thank you, Hannah, for the call. Eileen's in Monkton this afternoon. Afternoon, Eileen. Ben
8:07
Hi. Hello there. Now, the thing is, there's you, there's Nick Ferrari
8:14
there's James O'Brien, there's Sheila Fogarty and that Tom Storbrick fellow. You've all got a problem, and it's Nigel Farage
8:26
Get over it. One person, and I've never, I mean, you've ganged up on him
8:34
Can't you see that? You're giving him all the publicity he needs
8:40
In fact, he's looking an angel compared with the five of you
8:45
I mean, it's the bully boys of the playground. You think we're bullying Nigel Farage, do you, Eileen
8:53
Well, what are you doing? What are you doing? I would say we're asking..
8:58
It's criticism after criticism after criticism. We're asking questions. We're scrutinising politicians in the same way as we do with Annie Burnham and Kevin Badenock and all the rest of them
9:09
Why should Nigel Farage be unique in being beyond scrutiny? Goodness knows, but all five of you seem to think he is
9:17
Because quite frankly I never heard You could be an almost baying mob the five of you i lean for asking questions we a baying mob why does farage why should he not get accountability and scrutiny and
9:33
and and questions asked of him in the same way as all other senior politicians do no no no no no no
9:39
No, every programme I've listened on LBC, Nigel Farage has come up
9:48
You haven't attacked anyone else in quite the same way. You really haven't
9:54
And if he didn't appear, I don't blame him at all. I think it was a very wise move
10:01
Would you stand on a stage with someone dressed as a bin
10:07
I wouldn't. So do you think the security explanation is just an excuse then, Eileen
10:12
If you think he stayed away and was right to stay away because it looks humiliating
10:16
as he himself admitted it did earlier today, then what about the security aspect of all this
10:22
I think he's got quite good reasons for security, for what's happened to other people
10:29
I mean, it only takes one man and it's all gone wrong
10:34
looks what's happened this year to politicians. No, I don't think anyone can criticise him for that
10:44
I really don't. When Richard Tice says it's outrageous for people to even question
10:49
whether there was a security risk and how serious it was and so on
10:54
do you agree with that, Eileen, that if they say there's a security risk and they say that's why he didn't go
10:58
then the rest of us should just accept that at face value and stop questioning it? I think, quite frankly, you should give him a rest altogether
11:07
What? Stop talking about him? That's right. Why? That's right. Why on earth should the media stop talking about the man
11:14
who is some of the bookies' favourites to be our next Prime Minister? It's our job, Eileen
11:18
It's our job to question these people and scrutinise them. Quite frankly, it seems as if you almost envy him
11:26
All right, he got five million. Wouldn't everyone like a Ferrari? but they're very ostentatious
11:34
The five of you, I don't suppose anyone of you would have refused it
11:40
and say, oh, no, I couldn't take five million. I'd go abroad, wouldn't you
11:45
Well, it depends who was offering me five. I've never been in a situation, Eileen, I must say
11:49
I don't think I ever will be, where one of my mates calls me up and says, do you want five million quid? No
11:53
But if I was, I think I would say, well, hold on, what's it for? Why are you giving me this
11:58
What's expected of me? Do I need to declare it and so on? before I agreed to take it
12:03
No, I'd take it. I'd hop aboard. No questions asked. No questions asked
12:09
That's fine, but you don't want to be the next Prime Minister. Well, you might do, but as far as I know, you don't want to be the next Prime Minister
12:13
So the standards are slightly different, aren't they, of our elected officials and our senior politicians
12:19
The thing is, I do think, quite frankly, you've given the chap a rough ride
12:26
All right, Eileen, lovely to talk to you. Thank you very much indeed for getting in touch, Eileen, in Moncton
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