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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To agree with Nigel Farage?

284 replies

nds241 · 11/12/2023 09:12

I expect to be completely flamed here!

But I find myself agreeing with him. I've been watching TV this morning and have seen him do a couple of interviews following his exit from the jungle.

I voted Remain back in 2016 and have always voted Labour. So in the past I've obviously had very different political views from him m, but everything he said this morning about a population crisis, there being no real leader of the opposition and the Conservative Party being in a complete shambles made sense. I think he does speak a lot of what maybe others would be afraid to say. I honestly feel confused as to why I find myself agreeing with him.

Tell me I'm being unreasonable!

OP posts:
Waitingfordoggo · 11/12/2023 09:15

I haven’t seen the interviews you speak of but it sounds a bit like a case of ‘a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day’. Hell, I even agreed once or twice with things Trump said which was very unsettling. But overall most of the things said and believed by both Trump and Farage are opposed to my own beliefs.

determinedtomakethiswork · 11/12/2023 09:15

A stopped clock is right twice a day. That doesn't mean he makes sense the rest of the time. We all know the problems with labour and conservatives. We haven't forgotten his contribution either. He's a racist idiot.

Mumof2teens79 · 11/12/2023 09:15

What's the population crisis?
And loads of people are calling tory and Labour leadership shit.
He says things for effect.....not things others are afraid to say either things everyone else is saying but in an inflammatory way, or things that are extreme and untrue...people aren't afraid to say those things they just don't agree

GrammarTeacher · 11/12/2023 09:15

Yes you are unreasonable. He is an awful man and a dreadful hypocrite

ArsetoChristmas · 11/12/2023 09:16

Mumof2teens79 · 11/12/2023 09:15

What's the population crisis?
And loads of people are calling tory and Labour leadership shit.
He says things for effect.....not things others are afraid to say either things everyone else is saying but in an inflammatory way, or things that are extreme and untrue...people aren't afraid to say those things they just don't agree

Many nations globally are in population decline due to decreasing birth rates.

Original poster
nds241 · 11/12/2023 09:17

Waitingfordoggo · 11/12/2023 09:15

I haven’t seen the interviews you speak of but it sounds a bit like a case of ‘a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day’. Hell, I even agreed once or twice with things Trump said which was very unsettling. But overall most of the things said and believed by both Trump and Farage are opposed to my own beliefs.

Yep, unsettling is the word to describe it. Never thought I'd agree with him on anything as it's so different to what I believe in

OP posts:
hangingonfordearlife1 · 11/12/2023 09:17

Population crisis? what?

Original poster
nds241 · 11/12/2023 09:17

@hangingonfordearlife1 He was talking about reducing net migration levels, I think that's what he meant by population crisis

OP posts:
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 11/12/2023 09:18

His jungle “appearance” is a PR attempt to rehabilitate the face of the far right in Britain.

Not everyone who supports him is racist, but everyone who is racist supports him.

Mumof2teens79 · 11/12/2023 09:19

ArsetoChristmas · 11/12/2023 09:16

Many nations globally are in population decline due to decreasing birth rates.

Show quote history

But I assume that wasn't was NF was saying??

Mumof2teens79 · 11/12/2023 09:20

nds241 · 11/12/2023 09:17

@hangingonfordearlife1 He was talking about reducing net migration levels, I think that's what he meant by population crisis

Then he isn't saying anything he hasn't said before....he's still wrong, and if you didn't agree before why agree now?

ConstantRain · 11/12/2023 09:20

I think it's good to acknowledge opinions you agree with, no matter who they're from. It gives us a basis to work from without dismissing valid views just because who they're from. This shuts down debate and causes anger and strengthens divisions.
When we look at what united us, we're stronger.

Whataretheodds · 11/12/2023 09:21

Which bits do you agree with? It's a well-understood technique to find some unobjectionable statements to get people to listen and nod. It doesn't mean he's right on everything else.

LaviniasBigBloomers · 11/12/2023 09:21

That the Conservative Party is in crisis is partly down to his splitting the party along Brexit lines, so he's got what he wanted - which includes a generally more right wing party. Brilliant.

Population crisis - the real population crisis in the west is falling birth rates, one solution to which is immigration, so I'm not sure where he's going with that...

But a stopped clock is right twice a day is SUCH a useful phrase. We all agree on some things. That doesn't mean we're allies. Farage would probably agree with our primary school's campaign for a new zebra crossing. Doesn't mean he's not a racist fuckwit.

NameChange259 · 11/12/2023 09:21

I’ll never forget during the leaders question time debate a number of years ago, when he was asked what was wrong with the NHS and said it was people coming from African countries with AIDS Hmm

it was such a specific shitty racist remark - he’s normally much more clever than that.

he’s just very clever. Affable, reasonable sounding most of the time. But it is a mask.

i can’t find the clip - but there are lots of news articles from the time about the policy. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/10/nigel-farage-defends-plan-immigrants-hiv-nhs

Nigel Farage defends plan to bar immigrants with HIV from NHS care

Ukip leader says health service cannot afford to treat people with serious illnesses or life-threatening diseases from across Europe

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/10/nigel-farage-defends-plan-immigrants-hiv-nhs

Megifer · 11/12/2023 09:22

I agree with him in that there is absolutely a population crisis and, as eye rolly as it sounds, I am 100% certain the reason my gp in particular is struggling is the increase in immigration - only have to spend 10 minutes in there to see that tbh, if you manage to get in that is.

BUT I blame the government for not having the infrastructure in place to deal with it, especially as the population was increasing anyway and people are living longer etc. I have no ill feeling whatsoever towards immigrants, I have no doubt I'd do the same for my family if I had to. I'm lucky I don't.

Teddleshon · 11/12/2023 09:22

I often agree with people on particular specific issues and vehemently disagree with them on others. Unless you are a fervent embracer of identity politics surely most sensible people are like this?

KimberleyClark · 11/12/2023 09:22

We do have a leader of the opposition. Just not a populist hyper charismatic one like Oswald Moseley or even Tony Blair, which I’m sure Farage would prefer.

LylaLee · 11/12/2023 09:23

Someone put it like this: if you support a racist, it doesn't automatically mean you're a racist, but you're saying racism isn't a deal-breaker for you.

DonnaYouAreAStar · 11/12/2023 09:24

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SilentNightDancer · 11/12/2023 09:26

There is a distinction between birth rate and population.

In the UK the birth rate is falling, as fewer babies are being born here, but the overall population is increasing due to immigration.

ArsetoChristmas · 11/12/2023 09:26

Mumof2teens79 · 11/12/2023 09:19

But I assume that wasn't was NF was saying??

Show quote history

Without seeing the interview I wouldn't like to make a assumption. But generally population crisis is considered to be a decline in numbers. Based on prior history NF probably means unregulated migration.

Inthebitterend · 11/12/2023 09:30

You're being unreasonable. He's a POS and putting on a "aint I a lil' stinker?" face on reality TV is just an act. Please don't be fooled by his uptick in coverage. He's still a POS and always will be.

VeryLargeRadish · 11/12/2023 09:34

Others aren't afraid to say it! What a bizarre take. There's plenty of people talking about the shambles of a government and how uninspiring Starmer is. It's a pretty mainstream view. He's also not a big brave boy for talking about the amount of immigration there is given that has been in the newspapers for I think all of the 21st century, was a huge basis for Brexit and the newspapers and current government talks about it none stop!

Comedycook · 11/12/2023 09:39

I agree he's very clever...I think he does make some good points on certain things. But overall I am not a fan of his at all.

I do think immigration is too high and I do think it has contributed to our housing crisis.

UK population in 1990...57 million
UK population in 2022...67 million

3/4 million last year alone increase. People need to live somewhere.

And I say this as someone who prefers to live in cosmopolitan areas...and is part of a mixed race family. Not anti immigration at all. Very concerned with the amount though.