Today on This Morning, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage joined Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley in the studio, after returning from Washington D.C where he attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week.
Nigel spoke to hosts Ben and Cat five years on from Brexit, about his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s relationship with Britain, reconciling with Elon Musk and on becoming Prime Minister.
Reflecting on the last five years since Brexit:
“If you'd asked me five years ago where I'd be today, retired is the answer. But, I've come back into politics because it's frankly not been delivered the way that I said.”
“So, I'm as disappointed with the way it's been delivered as anybody and that's why I'm sitting here today, that's why I've come back into it. We need to finish the job.”
Speaking on being in Washington D.C. for President Trump’s inauguration:
“It was so upbeat. I mean, the weather was terrible, but it was so optimistic. I will never forget the victory rally on the eve of Inauguration and there's Trump, and Village People come on stage, and he's dancing on stage with them.”
“You can like him [Trump], you can loathe him, but he's won fair and square.”
“From taxi drivers to bartenders to waitresses, everyone is saying, ‘This feels great, we're making money, the economy is going well’ and the contrast with how people feel here today is quite extraordinary.”
Discussing President Trump’s praise of Keir Starmer:
“[Trump] He’s much politer than people think. If he disagrees with Starmer on something big, we will hear about it… He's pro-British, his mother was from the Western Isles, he loves the royal family, he's got golf courses over here. He likes our music, he likes our films and in many ways, if you think about it, American culture and British culture are now almost one of the same things.”
“We're very lucky to have him, he wants to have a good relationship with us.”
Talking about reconciling his relationship with Elon Musk:
“I spoke to him, and we're on perfectly friendly terms. I mean look, he and I fell out on something, he encouraged me to do something that I didn't agree with. Do you know what? I make my own mind up in life, I don't get pushed around, I don't get bullied even by the richest man on earth, I stick my ground.”
Nigel’s thoughts if Reform UK would be happy to accept Elon Musk's financial support and discussing Musk’s views:
“We are going to get Elon’s support, that I have no doubt.”
“Not two people agree on everything, and Musk believes in free speech. I believe in free speech, that means we can agree on things, but disagree on things.”
“Whatever we think of Musk’s views, he's a hero, he's a hero. Buying Twitter, bringing free speech back to the internet, where it almost evaporated. I mean, remember during lockdown, if you criticised government lockdowns, you were being suspended from Facebook, or whatever it is. I also think what he's done with SpaceX, this is an incredible guy.”
Responding to the responsibility of tech companies' and the content allowed to be published on social media sites - including the example of “the Southport atrocities”:
“The [videos] shouldn't be there, and they're on too many of those.”
“I fully accept that point but I do think what these platforms have given ordinary citizens, is a chance to express their opinions, to debate them with an audience and, overall yes, there are downsides. Overall, they're more of a force for good than bad.”
On becoming Prime Minister in the future and how his thoughts on this have changed since a previous interview on Good Morning Britain in 2015:
“The rise in Reform in the last few months, putting us second or even first in a couple of opinion polls. Most of that's come from Labor, it hasn't come from the Conservatives. We can pick up votes from across the political spectrum, so we're aiming for the stars. We're going all out to win and in three or four years time, I'll be proved right or wrong.”
“I didn't come into politics with ambition for a position, I did it to try and change things and if in a few years time and Reform wins the election, if I'm still the best person to do it, of course I'd do it.”
“In 2015, I was in politics for a cause and that was, as I say, to free our country from the European Union. I've come back into it because I actually think the way we're governed across many, many issues isn't working. Right now at this moment in time, I think I'm the best person to turn that round, if someone better than me comes along, I'll recognise it.”
Written by TomSouthwell on Jan 29, 2025