Reform UK have claimed their fifth seat of the general election – hours after a chaotic speech by Nigel Farage.
The Reform UK leader, whose party won South Basildon and East Thurrock and four other seats, confronted several hecklers during a victory speech in central London.
One protester, who Mr Farage said was “absolutely steaming”, was marched out of the event after he accused the Reform leader of being racist.
In return, Mr Farage said: “Are you down wind of a couple already?
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“He’s absolutely steaming isn’t he? That’s alright there’s still plenty of beer left in the pub mate.”
Mr Farage then proceeded to chant back at the protester several times that he was “boring”, before adding: “Well this is good preparation for the House of Commons I suppose.”
The party leader was then interrupted again by other hecklers who told him he was “racist” and that he did not “represent the working class”.
They have chanted “you’re a racist” and “you don’t represent the working class”.
Once the interruptions had been stopped Mr Farage went on to hail his party’s performance in the election, in which he was elected alongside four colleagues.
Pic: Reuters
The party leader, who failed in his seven previous attempts to enter parliament, will represent the Essex seat of Clacton after winning a majority of nearly 10,000.
As well as South Basildon and East Thurrock, the party also picked up Ashfield with its candidate Lee Anderson, the former deputy Tory party chair who defected to Reform earlier this year.
It also defeated the Conservatives in Great Yarmouth and Boston and Skegness.
Mr Farage said he had two objectives – to win millions of votes and establish a “bridgehead” in parliament to rival the Tories.
He claimed there was “absolutely no enthusiasm for Starmer’s Labour” and that his party would serve as the “opposition around the country”.
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And he said he was launching “criminal legal action” against Vetting.com as he vowed to “professionalise” Reform UK.
Asked about the racism row engulfing the party, Mr Farage blamed the firm it contracted to vet candidates.
“I made it clear that Ukip would be a non-racist, non-sectarian party, and in the end it was,” he said.
“I will jolly well make sure, starting today, that we do not want people with desperately unpleasant views. We will not tolerate people with these views. They will be gone.
“And we’ll have the funding after this, we’ll have the support coming in to be able to absolutely professionalise the party. This will never happen again.”
