Stunt politics of Farage just a distraction – Richmond

A photo call at 10 Downing Street held by Nigel Farage has been slammed as nothing more than a stunt by Fine Gael spokesman on European Affairs and Brexit Committee Chairman, Senator Neale Richmond.

“Fresh from a bye election defeat in Peterborough, Brexit Party Leader Nigel Farage and his grinning accomplice Richard Tice have sought to distract from the gaping holes in their political plans with yet another stunt.

“Throughout his time in the European Parliament, Mr Farage has become the king of stunt politics, regularly wading into the Chamber to give a two minute speech designed for social media before disappearing for weeks on end, refusing to actually do any of the work of an MEP.

“His latest wheeze is a photo call at the entrance to 10 Downing Street demanding his nascent Brexit Party be included in the Brexit negotiating team.

“This stunt is riddled in ignorance and is utterly disingenuous.

“Firstly, the Brexit negotiations relating to the Withdrawal Agreement finished in November with a fair compromise being thrashed out by the European and British negotiating teams.

“Secondly, Messers Farage and Tice have nothing constructive to add to the current Brexit stand-off. Both men and their willing mob are actively trying to bring about a catastrophic no deal Brexit that would see the UK crash out from the EU bringing disproportionate levels of misery to the very people who voted for them.

“Farage et al consistently dismiss and ignore the very genuine warnings that a no deal Brexit would be very bad. They do not care for the economic or social disruption it would foist upon the people of the UK and they have zero understanding for the very real threat such a move would pose for peace on the island of Ireland.

“Across the British body politic in recent days, there have been a plethora of misplaced comments and promises in relation to the prospect of a no deal scenario and the commitment to reopen negotiations.

“These comments and promises need to be robustly challenged. Meanwhile the stunt politics of Farage are just a distraction.”