Nigel Farage Declines to Condemn Candidate's Controversial Britishness Remarks
Nigel Farage has faced sharp criticism after failing to condemn comments from his Reform UK by-election candidate, Matt Goodwin, who asserted that being born in Britain does not inherently make someone "British". The controversy erupted as Goodwin, standing for Gorton and Denton, has a history of contentious statements and has received an endorsement from the far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
Goodwin's Stance on British Identity and Integration
Matt Goodwin previously claimed on social media platform X that "it takes more than a piece of paper to make somebody 'British'". He elaborated that migrants do not instantly adopt British or English culture and identity upon signing official documents. Goodwin added, "Clearly many integrate successfully but fact remains we have British citizens who reject integration in favour of retaining their origin culture. This is as much our failure as theirs but it is the reality we are living with. It is not 'far-right' to think this."
Farage's Evasive Response and Robinson Endorsement
At a Reform conference, Farage was directly questioned by The Mirror about Goodwin's remarks and the endorsement from Tommy Robinson. When asked if he opposes Robinson's support and agrees with Goodwin's views on Britishness, Farage ignored the core inquiry. He stated, "I just don't want anything to do with him. Tommy Robinson can do what he wants to do, away from us, as long as he stays away from the law, which he doesn’t always do. It’s none of our business, nothing to do with us."
Labour's Condemnation and Accusations of Toxic Politics
Labour swiftly condemned Farage's response, accusing him of lacking backbone and engaging in toxic politics. Andrew Western MP, political lead for Labour's Gorton and Denton campaign, said, "It really shouldn't be that hard for Farage to refuse the support of a far right thug like Tommy Robinson. Yet Farage hasn't got the backbone to do it. Perhaps if he had, he'd also call out Matt Goodwin's vile view that people who aren't white can't be English - purely because of the colour of their skin." Western warned that a vote for any party other than Labour risks allowing Reform's divisive politics to fracture communities in Manchester and Tameside.
Background on Goodwin's Controversial History and Reform's Internal Dynamics
This incident follows revelations that Goodwin mocked his Reform colleague Robert Jenrick over the use of weight loss drugs, joking that "you can take an injection for weight loss but you can't take an injection for personality". Jenrick, a former Conservative MP who defected to Reform, had publicly discussed using Ozempic to slim down. Notably, Goodwin previously warned that accepting too many Tories could destroy Reform, yet the party has since welcomed 11 ex-Tory MPs, including Jenrick and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The ongoing saga highlights deepening tensions within Reform UK over identity politics and far-right associations, as the party navigates a by-election campaign amid growing scrutiny of its candidates and leadership.
