Farage denies Iran war stance U-turn and says Trump should be taken ‘seriously, not literally’
Farage has accused ministers of being “utterly clueless” about the energy market
Nigel Farage has said the Government should tackle rising energy prices by ramping up domestic oil and gas production, accusing ministers of being “utterly clueless” about the energy market.
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Speaking to LBC ahead of a party rally in Leeds on Tuesday evening, the Reform UK leader criticised the Government’s response to rising prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East, saying the UK was paying far more for imported energy than it would if it produced more at home.
Farage claimed Britain had been paying between $150 and $160 a barrel for oil from the Middle East that could be produced domestically for $100 or less.
He also argued the UK should move faster to expand natural gas production, including through the Jackdaw field, instead of using more public money to shield households from short-term price spikes.
He said: “We’ve got the most expensive energy prices in the world and it seems they don’t want to lift a finger to change that.”
Farage also attacked the Government’s approach to net zero, saying it made little sense to restrict UK production while continuing to import oil and gas from abroad.
Turning to the conflict in Middle East, the Reform UK leader said the UK should have allowed the US to use British bases from the outset, but stopped short of calling for direct British military involvement.
Farage said the UK “should not have forbidden the Americans from using our bases”, arguing that ministers had “cheesed off our most important ally” while ultimately failing to prevent escalation after “the Iranians still fired a rocket at the RAF base in Cyprus”.
He added: “I do believe we should have supported the Americans from the very beginning. But should we get actively involved ourselves? I’ve never said we should.”
Farage also urged caution over taking Donald Trump’s comments at face value, saying: “Never try and read Trump. Never try and read whether what he’s saying is what the situation really is or not.”
It comes after Mr Trump shared his administration was dealing with "a top person" in Iran when it came to negotiation talks between the two countries.
Mr Trump said: "We're dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader."
However, Farage added leaders do not reveal their true intentions during conflicts, saying: “You never publicly say stuff that gives the enemy a real clue of what you’re thinking and what you’re doing,” before concluding: “Never, ever take him literally, but always take him seriously.”
Farage also questioned the state of Britain’s armed forces, saying recent events had shown they were in “an embarrassing state”.
Turning to local politics, Farage said Reform UK was making “massive advances” ahead of the local elections and claimed the party had a “real chance” of taking control of some councils.
He said he felt “very good” about Reform UK’s prospects in Barnsley and Wakefield, while describing Leeds as a more “complex battleground” because of shifting support between Labour, the Greens and other parties.
Farage said the current political landscape had moved beyond traditional two-party politics, arguing Britain was now in an era of “five-party politics”.