Tobias Elwood has blasted Reform UK leader Nigel Farage over his response to the Southport stabbings telling him to “put the country’s interest first.”
Nigel Farage has been accused of stirring up online conspiracy theories over comments he made yesterday when he questioned the accuracy of the police’s assessment that Monday’s knife attack was not terror-related.
Conservative MP Tobias Elwood, who was a guest on Farage’s show, said: ” It would have been illegal to actually spell out the circumstances given that this was a minor, a 17-year-old.
“Now maybe that’s a question that now needs to be deliberated. But that’s for you to take to the Home Affairs Committee or raise in Parliament.
Elwood said: “you are now a political leader”
GB News
“My concern is that you are now a political leader. You’re in Parliament itself, regardless of party.
“I hope that you’d always put the country’s interests first because has this been good for Britain? What happened last night?
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“It’s very easy to play on people’s anxieties, on their anger, their frustrations. There’s much to be concerned about.
“You and I can have a big debate about where our world’s going, why we’re not doing enough. But parliament must look for solutions and parliamentarians must offer the wisdom and leadership that offers answers.
“We must do nothing to absolutely inflame the situation.”
He added that Farage “has and influence” and “people listen to him.”
Farage responded: “I would come back at you by saying this. Had my questions been answered clearly, we would have ended much of that false, fake news speculation that was going on on social media.
Protestors stand off with police in Southport Getty
“And, there is a deep sense of unease in this country that something is going wrong. Have we been told a bit more?
“I know the guy was 17, and that makes it more complicated. And I do get that. I think it’s reasonable that I ask those questions.
“I don’t believe anything I did in any way was stirring up disorder. In fact, I put it to you, if I’d been answered clearly the riots would have been smaller.”
Three young girls died in the attack in Southport, while eight other children suffered stab wounds. Five are in a critical condition alongside two adults who are also critically injured.
Chaos erupted in the streets of Southport last night
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On Tuesday evening, a protest turned violent outside a Southport mosque after false online accusations the attacker was a Muslim refugee who came from Syria on a small boat last year.
Police said they believed the group were English Defence League (EDL) supporters and many had come from outside Merseyside.
Ahead of the protest, Mr Farage said in a video: “I wonder whether the truth is being held from us, I don’t know.”
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