In a speech at the Lib Dem conference, the party’s foreign affairs chief Calum Miller branded Farage a ‘plastic patriot’ and Donald Trump’s ‘cheerleader in chief’
Britain must “Trump-proof” its politics and keep Nigel Farage out of power, Lib Dem leaders have said.
In a scathing speech the party’s foreign affairs chief, Calum Miller, dismissed the Reform leader as Donald Trump’s “cheerleader in chief” and accused him of siding with bullies against Britain’s interests.
He told delegates at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth that Mr Farage is a “plastic patriot” who travelled to the US to talk down Britain earlier this month.
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He said: “Take Donald Trump’s number one cheerleader in chief, Nigel Farage, a man who would rather back Britain’s bullies rather than challenge them.
“A man who would rather erode the institutions which underpin our security and prosperity, rather than champion them. Who chose to denegrate our nation on the floor of the United States congress. Shame on him.
“Farage may believe Britain’s best days are behind it, but I say we reject your cynicism, we reject your pessimism, and we reject your plastic patriotism.”
He went on: “We must Trump-proof our politics, especially in light of people like Farage, who is already measuring the curtains of No10, who care more about what that office could do for them than what they can do for this country.”
And Sir Ed Davey warned the Reform leader will take the country backwards by tearing up British values. He accused Mr Farage of “borrowing from Trump’s America” – and said his party has a moral duty to stand up to him.
Sir Ed, speaking at his party’s conference in Bournemouth, repeatedly refused to rule out forming a coalition with Labour to keep Mr Farage away from No10.
He said: “I think the threat to our democracy, to the things we hold dear British values, decency, tolerance, respect for the rule of law are being challenged in a way that I can remember before. And when I hear some of the leaders of the Conservative Party and particularly Reform, they seem to be borrowing from Trump’s America and some of the ideas they’re putting forward, I think, would take our country backwards.”
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