Farage blasted over claims Oldham is split over racial lines
Reporter: Jon Chubb
Date published: 29 April 2019
Nigel Farage
Brexit party leader Nigel Farage has been accused of trying to stoke up tensions and create division in Oldham after claiming the town is split along racial lines.
The former leader of UKIP made the comments during a speech in the United States ahead of the upcoming European and Local Elections.
Talking to the crowd on Friday night (26th April) Mr Farage said: “Let me take you to a town called Oldham in the North of England where literally on one side of the street everybody is white and on the other side of the street everybody is black.”
“The twain never actually meet, there is no assimilation.”
“There are whole streets in Oldham of people who have lived in my country for over 30-years who don’t speak a single word of the English language.”
“These, folks, are divided societies.”
“They are societies in which resentments build and grow.”
But his comments have been slammed by many people across Oldham with one of the town’s MPs leading the response.
Oldham is not defined by Farage, or anyone else looking to stoke up tensions and create division
— Jim McMahon MP (@JimfromOldham) April 28, 2019
We are bound together by a shared future. We, more than anyone understand scale of the challenges our economy and communities face. But we rise to meet them together https://t.co/ofPBpbgxxZ
Oldham West and Royton’s MP Jim McMahon commented: “Oldham is not defined by Farage, or anyone else looking to stoke up tensions and create division.”
“We are bound together by a shared future. We, more than anyone understand scale of the challenges our economy and communities face. But we rise to meet them together.”
Nazir Afzal, Chair of Hopwood Hall, added: “I know Oldham very well & this is dangerous scaremongering again from Farage “integration” is not “assimilation” All Towns have their problems, but none are improved by Him stoking racial tension He’s a man with no answers, just bigotry”.
Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: "It is disappointing, but not surprising given Nigel Farage's previous form, that he is continuing to try and divide communities from his removed, arrogant and privileged position.
"The vast majority of Oldham and Saddleworth people reject him and his cronies, their political opportunism and their language of fear and hate.
"As my dear friend Jo Cox, who was murdered by a far right extremist, said 'we have more in common than that which divides us'. Mr Farage would do well to remember this.”
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