Nigel Farage has insisted he is not “fanning the flames of anything” as he defended his handling of the racism row engulfing the Reform UK party.
Mr Farage appeared on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips following the controversy over a Reform canvasser who was caught making a racial slur about the prime minister in an undercover investigation.
Follow latest updates on general election
The Reform UK leader said: “Political parties attract all sorts of people. I always think politics brings out the best and the worst in people and I am not fanning the flames of anything. I want unity in this country.”
Pressed on why his party seems to attract people who hold extremist views, the former UKIP leader claimed it was because he had driven the British Nationalist Party (BNP) “out as an electoral force”.
“Ironically, destroying the BNP means people who are minded that way don’t any longer have a home to go to, and so some will gravitate in our direction,” he added.
Mr Farage went on to say that “anybody who has a racist point of view, I don’t want to know”.
He added: “I want to live, Trevor, in a country that is literally colour-blind. I couldn’t care less what colour you are. I’m not interested in what sexuality you have. Let’s treat everybody equally. That is my agenda.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The undercover investigation, by Channel 4, showed Reform activist Andrew Parker using the racial slur “P***” to describe the prime minister, describing Islam as a “disgusting cult”, and saying the army should “just shoot” migrants crossing the Channel.
Another canvasser described the Pride flag as “degenerate” and suggested members of the LGBT community are paedophiles.
Reform UK has also had to drop several election candidates because of racist remarks they have made.
Read more:
‘Gravely concerning’ claims of Russian interference in election
Farage speech interrupted by Putin banner
Mr Farage has been criticised by both the Tories and Labour over the controversy, after he refused to apologise and even claimed Mr Parker was a “paid actor” who was part of a “deliberate attempt to derail our campaign”.
Mr Sunak was particularly furious and took the decision to repeat the slur made about him to “call out what it was”.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sunak ‘hurt’ over Reform race row
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, the prime minister bolstered his attack on Mr Farage, saying he had shown “no contrition or remorse”.
Asked how the Reform row was different to the case of Frank Hester, a Tory donor who allegedly made racist comments about Diane Abbott, Mr Sunak said: “The difference is that Nigel Farage has just described these comments (by Mr Parker) as inappropriate.
“They’re not inappropriate. They were vile and racist and wrong.
“The person who made them has only apologised to the Reform Party for the impact it’s had on them. It’s a very clear difference. There is no contrition or remorse and or acceptance of what’s happened in that case.”
Mr Hester, who has donated £15m to the Tory party, apologised for comments he made about Ms Abbott, but claimed they “had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
Mr Sunak was criticised for the way he initially responded to the allegations about the major party donor, before eventually condemning the remarks as “racist”.