Exclusive: UK right-wing MP Nigel Farage visited Hong Kong as anti-immigration riots spread across Britain
Hong Kong Free Press
UK parliamentarian Nigel Farage was visiting Hong Kong as unrest erupted across Britain, his team has confirmed to HKFP.
The leader of the right-wing Reform UK party has been criticised for comparing the far-right, racist riots sweeping British cities to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This was an important family visit, taken whilst UK Parliament is in recess, he is now back in the UK,” a spokesperson for Farage confirmed to HKFP via Whatsapp on Tuesday.
The anti-immigrant and Islamophobic riots broke out after three young girls were killed in a knife attack last Monday in Southport. False rumours spread online that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker as far-right groups stoked tensions leading to violent attacks on immigrants. A 17-year-old British man was arrested over the murders.
Calls to reconvene parliament
According to a tweet posted on Monday evening, Aggie Holland said she had spotted Farage at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong hotel earlier that day.
“He was there for afternoon tea,” Holland told HKFP. “They were being discreet – he didn’t look like he’d been out in the sweltering heat of the day. Terrible timing… not least because of the unrest, but clearly not doing any work either for the people of Clacton.”
Farage was elected to represent Clacton-upon-Sea in the UK’s July general election, after seven failed attempts to secure a seat in parliament.
His team did not answer as to when exactly the politician had arrived in or left Hong Kong. Farage issued a statement on Monday condemning the violence witnessed in several cities across the UK.
Despite apparently being in Hong Kong, Farage called for parliament to be recalled: “The majority of our population can see the fracturing of our communities as a result of mass, uncontrolled immigration, whether legal or illegal.”
He accused the UK police of “two-tier policing,” when compared to their reaction to the 2020 Black Lives Matter anti-racism demonstrations.
Holidays abroad
Brendan Cox, husband of murdered UK politician Jo Cox, told Sky News last week that Farage was “Tommy Robinson in a suit,” after the Reform leader questioned whether information was being withheld from the public over the Southport stabbings.
Robinson, an anti-Islam campaigner and founder of the far-right English Defence League, came under fire for holidaying in Cyprus last week as the unrest unfolded.
According to his LinkedIn page, Farage’s son is based in Hong Kong as a director at consultancy Ernst & Young.
It is not the first time Farage’s travel plans have been in the spotlight. Last month, he faced criticism for travelling to the US soon after securing his Clacton seat.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.