Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has hit out at Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the party’s youngest council leader was attacked in the street and branded a fascist and racist.
George Finch, 19, suffered an allegedly unprovoked assault in Nuneaton town centre on Friday night whilst out with a female friend.
After pushing the teenage Warwickshire County Council leader, his assailant began shouting abuse at him, calling him a fascist and a racist in a torrent of verbal attacks.
The incident, which occurred around 2am on Saturday morning, has sparked a fierce political row, with Farage accusing the Prime Minister of fuelling hostility through inflammatory language about Reform UK.
Echo of PM’s Conference Attack
Farage told the Daily Mail he was deeply upset that the young council leader was assaulted, adding that the words used against him echo the Prime Minister’s disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week.
The Reform leader also condemned what he described as wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green Party in recent weeks.
His intervention references Sir Keir Starmer’s speech at the Labour Party Conference in September, where the Prime Minister described Reform UK’s immigration policies as racist and went as far as to label Farage an enemy of Britain.
The PM also accused the poll-topping party of wanting to turn this proud country into a country of victims during his conference address.
Wound Up and Sent Into Battle
Finch himself blamed left-wing political rhetoric for the attack, stating it was clear that the man who attacked them was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens.
The teenage council leader said the attack didn’t cause any lasting injury but came as a massive shock to him and his friend and was completely out of the blue.
He added that he is extremely concerned about the state of political discourse in Britain, claiming that Reform UK activists at all levels are suffering intimidation and violence at the hands of left-wing instigators.
Finch went further, stating that the politicians they follow know this, but are willingly allowing it to happen, adding they have a duty to speak out and quell the increased threat faced by his friends and colleagues.
Green Leader’s Fascist Claims
The incident comes just days after Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski branded Reform UK policy chief Zia Yusuf far-right and fascist during a BBC Question Time appearance.
Polanski’s comments prompted warnings from Reform figures that such rhetoric was not just divisive but dangerous, potentially creating an environment where individuals might view party members as legitimate targets for political violence.
Reform’s policy chief Zia Yusuf had previously warned that Sir Keir was absolutely inciting violence against Farage with his conference speech attacks.
Labour Denies Responsibility
Labour has strongly condemned the incident but insisted it would be categorically incorrect to suggest that either Sir Keir or the party is in any way responsible for the attack.
A Labour spokesperson said violence, harassment or intimidation is completely unacceptable and has no place in our politics or society.
The spokesman added that any such incidents must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
A Green Party spokesman also distanced the party from the violence, stating there is no place for violence or intimidation in politics and using the disgraceful attack of a councillor to score cheap points is distasteful.
The Green spokesperson added that the party is committed to offering a message of hope to counter those looking to fuel division and hatred.
Police Investigation Launched
Warwickshire Police confirmed they are investigating the assault after receiving a call at around 2am on Saturday, 11 October, in which a man stated he had been pushed by another man in Nuneaton.
Officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to call 101, giving incident number 26 of 11 October.
The force did not provide any description of the alleged attacker beyond confirming it was a young man who approached Finch and his companion.
Britain’s Youngest Council Leader
Finch made headlines earlier this year when he became Britain’s youngest county council leader at just 19 years old, taking control of Warwickshire County Council after Reform UK gained power.
The Bedworth Central representative has been a controversial figure since taking office, recently implementing a policy banning the Progress Pride flag from flying outside the authority’s headquarters.
That decision prompted criticism from opposition councillors, with some accusing him of failing to defend chief executive Monica Fogarty when she initially refused to remove the flag and faced attacks from Nigel Farage.
Pattern of Threats Against Reform
The Nuneaton incident comes amid specific concerns about Nigel Farage’s personal security, with the Reform leader’s security detail reportedly slashed by 75 per cent in recent weeks.
Just last week, a 26-year-old Afghan migrant named Fayaz Khan, who had an AK-47 tattooed on his face, was found guilty of threatening to kill Farage after entering the UK illegally.
Khan, who is due to be sentenced this week, already has a considerable criminal record in continental Europe including knife and drug offences.
The persistent attacks and threats against Reform figures have led party officials to warn about what they describe as an increasingly toxic political atmosphere in Britain.
Senior Reform figures have drawn comparisons to other countries where heated political rhetoric has preceded violence against politicians, including assassination attempts on former US President Donald Trump and the shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The row over the Nuneaton attack looks set to intensify debate about the boundaries of political discourse and the responsibility of senior politicians for the language they use about their opponents.
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Image Credit:
George Finch — photo by unknown / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0
