‘I’ve been called worse’: Nigel Farage reacts to The New European’s ‘secret weapon’ front

Remain's secret weapon? Nigel Farage pictured on the front of The New European. Photograph: Jonathon Read. - Credit: Archant

The leader of the Brexit Party has reacted to the latest front cover of The New European, which called him ‘Remain’s secret weapon’.

Our article centred on claims that the Brexit Party could undermine the Leave campaign, taking vital votes away from Boris Johnson by “shouting ‘betrayal'” and “claiming Johnson’s deal is yet another variant of Brexit-in-name-only”.

Welcome to the resistance, Nigel.

Speaking today on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Nick Robinson asked Farage how he felt about being called Remain’s secret weapon.

“Has Nigel Farage become Remain’s secret weapon? That’s the cover on the headline on the cover of The New European which claims, hopes, in their words will crush Brexit for good,” Robinson said.

“The leader of the Brexit Party has not yet said how many candidates he plans to run in the election but we do know that he is not taking the risk of facing the electorate. Mr Farage, how do you feel about being described as Remain’s secret weapon?”

READ MORE: Remain’s secret weapon – how Nigel Farage could help crush Brexit for goodFarage replies: “I’ve been called worse than that over the years”, and went on to justify his position on Brexit.

“The point is this – Boris Johnson is offering us something which is not Brexit and does not get Brexit done,” he claimed.

Robinson asks Farage to clarify that, asking if he can confirm whether Norway is in the EU.

Farage had previously advocated for a Norwegian model as a means of leaving, before changing his mind.

READ MORE: Nigel Farage denies changing his mind on Brexit despite u-turn on Norway model“They do follow some rules of the EU and they do pay some money so if we do the same, we will be in the EU,” Robinson asks.

“Norway is not in the EU – and they have free movement of people as well, and one of the key reasons people voted to leave was to end free movement of people,” Farage replied.

Robinson then put it to Farage that words matter, and Brexit only means leaving the EU. Farage went on to claim the prime minister’s deal “does not mean leaving the institutions of the EU, it does not mean leaving the European court of justice and it ties us, if we go down this route, to regulatory alignment for all time in everything from financial services to fisheries to taxation.”