Nigel Farage Blames Starmer After Reform Council Leader, 19, is Physically Attacked in Street

Nigel Farage last night accused Keir Starmer of “disgraceful” rhetoric after Britain’s youngest council leader, Warwickshire’s George Finch, 19, was physically attacked in the street by a man calling him “racist” and a “fascist”. The Mail has the story.

Reform UK politician George Finch, 19, was branded a “racist” and a “fascist” during the street assault on Friday night.

Party leader Mr Farage condemned the attack and said the language used “echoes the Prime Minister’s disgraceful attack on Reform during the Labour conference“.

Warwickshire County Council leader Mr Finch claimed the alleged attacker had been “wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens”.

It comes just days after Mr Farage accused Sir Keir of putting a target on his back and “inciting” the “radical Left” against him and his supporters.

A bitter row broke out after the Prime Minister branded Reform’s immigration policies “racist” and claimed Mr Farage was an “enemy” of Britain during his Labour Party conference speech in September.

And last week Green Party leader Zack Polanski dialled up the rhetoric as he branded Mr Farage and Reform policy chief Zia Yusuf “fascists”, and said that Reform is a “far-Right party”. 

Reform said that on Friday, Mr Finch and a female friend were “physically attacked” in Nuneaton town centre by a young man.

After the alleged unprovoked attack, the man began shouting abuse at Mr Finch, calling him a “racist” and a “fascist”.

He then followed the council leader and his friend before the police were called.

Mr Farage told the Daily Mail: “I’m deeply upset that our young council leader was assaulted. The words used against him echo the Prime Minister’s disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week and wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green Party.”

Labour condemned the incident but said it was “categorically incorrect” to suggest that Sir Keir or the party is in any way responsible. 

Police are investigating the alleged assault.

Mr Finch, who became the UK’s youngest council leader in July, said the attack didn’t cause any lasting injury but “came as a massive shock to me and my friend and was completely out of the blue”.

“It’s clear that the man who attacked us was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens,” he said.

“I’m extremely concerned about the state of political discourse in Britain. Reform UK activists at all levels are suffering intimidation and violence at the hands of Left-wing instigators.

“The politicians they follow know this, but are willingly allowing it to happen. They have a duty to speak out and quell the increased threat faced by my friends and colleagues.”

Worth reading in full.