The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
Nigel Farage has again defended Brexit from attacks by fellow ITV reality show contestants – arguing that leaving the EU gives Britain the freedom to “make a mess of it ourselves”.
The former Brexit Party leader clashed again with Fred Sirieix on the impact of Brexit during the latest episode of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
Campmates have previously argued with Farage over the ads used during the 2016 vote to leave the EU and whether his views were anti-immigrant.
On Sunday, the First Dates host told Farage: “The thing is Nigel, you destroyed the economy.”
The former Ukip politician turned GB News presenter called his claim “absolute b******s” and said there were issues affecting all European economies.
Sirieix said: “One thing they said during the Brexit vote is, ‘We’re going to get £350 million a week that we can redirect to the NHS and build new hospitals and free care and all that’. Never happened.”
The French maitre d’ and TV personality also said that Farage had “created a big mess” and challenged him to name three benefits of Brexit.
The ex-Brexit Party leader named control of borders, self-governance and the nuclear submarine deal with Australia – the latter of which he said was “good” that it had upset the French.
“The point about it is we can make a mess of it ourselves if we choose to,” Farage said – calling it a “liberation”.
Farage later said he “loves the European Union”, which is “fine”.
He added: “Fred can’t help himself occasionally. Occasionally, that bubbling resentment and anger brims up to the surface.”
Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Richard Tice has said that “no cash or money” has been offered to Tory MPs to defect to his party, denying claims made by Lee Anderson.
The Sunday Times reported that Mr Anderson claimed last month to have been offered “a lot of money” to join the Farage-linked party.
Mr Tice on Sunday rejected the claim reportedly made by Mr Anderson, the deputy Tory chairman, at a South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association event last month.
“Let me make it absolutely clear, no cash or money has in any way been offered, what has been offered is the chance to change the shape of the debate,” Mr Tice told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
He also accused Mr Anderson of using “the threat of defecting to Reform to negotiate” his job as deputy chair of the Tory party.
Mr Anderson has confirmed he was offered a “guaranteed” job to defect and denied Mr Tice’s “simply ridiculous” claim that he used it as leverage to get the deputy chairmanship.
“I was offered the chance to join another party for the following deal: I join within a few months and stand for this party at the next election,” he told GB News.
“If I lost my seat I would be guaranteed a job with the party for five years on the same salary as an MP. To falsely claim that I used this as leverage to get the position of deputy chairman is an insult to me and my party.”
