Reform leader defends Trump’s autism claims whilst alleging Eastern Europeans stealing protected birds from London parks
Nigel Farage has been accused of peddling “dangerous” misinformation after claiming migrants are “feasting” on swans and carp stolen from Royal Parks, allegations immediately rejected by park authorities who confirmed no such incidents have been reported.
The Reform UK leader made the unsubstantiated claims during an LBC radio interview on Tuesday whilst defending Donald Trump’s equally baseless assertion that Haitian immigrants in America had been eating domestic pets, and refusing to condemn the US President’s false linking of paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism.
When pressed by presenter Nick Ferrari about Trump’s discredited pet-eating claims, Farage pivoted to his own allegation: “If I said to you that swans were being eaten in Royal Parks and carps were being taken out of ponds and eaten in this country from people with different cultures, would you agree that is happening?”
Royal Parks: ‘No Incidents Reported’
A Royal Parks spokesperson swiftly debunked Farage’s claims, stating categorically: “We’ve not had any incidents reported to us of people killing or eating swans in London’s eight Royal Parks. Our wildlife officers work closely with the Swan Sanctuary to ensure the welfare of the swans across the parks.”
The charity manages Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and five other royal parks across London, none of which have documented any recent swan thefts or killings.
Asked who he believed was responsible for the alleged swan consumption, the MP for Clacton replied: “People who come from countries where it is acceptable to do so.” When Ferrari specifically asked if he meant “Romanians and Eastern Europeans,” Farage responded: “So I believe.”
Protected Species Under UK Law
Swans hold a unique legal status in Britain as property of the Crown under Royal Prerogative, making it a criminal offence to kill, injure or take them. Additionally, as wild birds, they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with penalties of up to six months in prison for intentionally harming them.
The maximum sentence for killing or injuring a wild swan carries potential imprisonment, yet Farage provided no evidence to support his claims of widespread swan theft and consumption.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned Farage’s comments, calling him “the snake oil salesman of British politics” and adding: “This is a man whose health adviser claimed at Reform’s Conference that the Covid vaccine gave the Royal family cancer. Farage has no idea and no backbone.”
Historical Claims Resurface
Farage’s allegations echo unproven claims from decades past. In 2003, Scotland Yard investigated similar allegations about migrants stealing and cooking swans but found no evidence to support the claims and made no arrests. A decade later, in 2013, Royal Parks reported finding 13 injured swans on their grounds, but rangers attributed most injuries to dog attacks rather than human interference.
The Reform leader appeared to reference a video from right-wing organisation Turning Point UK, which claimed to show an RSPCA worker catching migrants cooking a bird. However, the footage remains unverified, and no arrests have been reported in connection with any such incidents.
GB News political editor Tom Harwood attempted to defend Farage by citing historical incidents, stating: “This isn’t Nigel Farage conjuring something from the figment of his imagination.” However, Harwood admitted that videos circulating online “could have been AI-generated” and acknowledged uncertainty about their authenticity.
Trump’s Autism Claims Defended
The swan allegations emerged as Farage refused to condemn Trump’s Monday announcement that the US Food and Drug Administration would warn against paracetamol use during pregnancy due to an unproven link with autism, claims that have been roundly rejected by health authorities worldwide.
“The science is never settled,” Farage told LBC, adding that whilst he didn’t “necessarily share” Trump’s opinion linking paracetamol to autism, “we should remember that” science evolves.
International health agencies moved swiftly to counter Trump’s claims. The European Medicines Agency stated: “Available evidence has found no link between the use of paracetamol during pregnancy and autism.” The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency confirmed paracetamol “remains the recommended pain relief option for pregnant women when used as directed.”
UK Health Secretary Streeting was unequivocal in his response: “I’ve just got to be really clear about this: there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None. Don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.
Pattern of Misinformation
Critics accused Farage of deliberately spreading misinformation to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. A spokesperson for a migrants’ rights organisation said: “What Nigel Farage’s comments do show is his willingness to peddle disinformation from unverified social media, and far-right organisations, to deliberately whip up more hatred against migrants.”
After last week’s anti-migrant rally, and with Reform’s recent immigration plans, this is a time where migrants and racialised people are feeling increasingly scared about their safety, making such statements not only absurd but utterly dangerous.
Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Helen Morgan said: “Nigel Farage wants to impose Trump’s dangerous anti-science agenda here in the UK. Peddling this kind of nonsense is irresponsible and wrong.”
Political Fallout
The controversy comes as Reform UK continues to lead Labour in some opinion polls, with Farage maintaining a successful summer campaign focused on crime rates, small boats and legal migration. However, his latest claims have drawn widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum.
When asked directly whether he was stating as fact that Eastern Europeans were eating British swans and carp, Farage appeared to backtrack slightly, saying: “I’m not saying that, I’m just putting it back as an argument.”
The Spectator magazine noted the timing of Farage’s “bizarre campaign message” as conference season begins, observing: “It’s certainly a headline grabber!”
As authorities continue to emphasise that no evidence exists of migrants stealing or eating swans from Royal Parks, Farage’s comments have reignited concerns about the spread of misinformation and its potential to inflame community tensions at a time of heightened sensitivity around immigration issues.
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Image Credit:
Nigel Farage speaking at CPAC 2017 — photo by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0
