Nigel Farage plays down oil price fears and says UK ‘should not join Trump in Iran’
The UK should not join Donald Trump’s war on Iran, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said, as he predicted oil prices will normalise if and when the Strait of Hormuz is cleared.
Listen to this article
Speaking at a petrol station in the Derbyshire Peak District, Mr Farage said Britain should not get involved in “another foreign war”, and warned that the rest of the world was losing respect for Britain because of its response to the conflict in the Middle East.
The party has faced criticism for its inconsistent position on whether the UK should support the US’s military action against Tehran, with deputy leader Richard Tice and Reform member Nadhim Zahawi previously backing British involvement – while Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick has opposed it and Mr Farage has sent mixed messages.
Asked about his stance on Tuesday, Mr Farage said: “Given that we can’t even send a Royal Navy vessel to defend British sovereign territory and an RAF base, we certainly don’t have the capability to offer anything of any value to the Americans or the Israelis.
“There are differing opinions as to whether we should physically join the attacks. I, as leader, am saying to you, if we can’t even defend Cyprus, let’s not get ourselves involved in another foreign war.”
Read more: Reform councillor blasts 'cult' around Nigel Farage as he defects to Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain
Answering a series of media questions, Mr Farage also said it was politically vital for Donald Trump that the conflict ends “pretty quickly”, and warned that the United States would have failed if it does not eliminate any nuclear threat from Iran.
Describing debates surrounding the impact of the war on fuel prices as “fascinating”, Mr Farage said: “At nine o’clock yesterday morning, the price of heating oil was very different to what it was at six o’clock yesterday evening.
“You might have noticed the spot price of crude rocketed to nearly 120 dollars a barrel (and then) came down to 84 dollars a barrel.“If the Straits of Hormuz are cleared – I accept that’s an if… oil will be back into the low 80s and heating oil will be similar.”
He added of the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region: “America and Israel were going to attack Iran whatever we said or did.
”The British Government’s initial decision not to allow the US to use British bases to attack Iran was a massive mistake, Mr Farage claimed, adding: “I absolutely wanted us to be supportive.
“We all want the war over quickly, including President Trump. Politically, it’s vital for him that it’s over pretty quickly.“ But having started it – Israel and America having started it – they must remove the nuclear threat. If they don’t do that, they will have failed.”
Mr Farage added of President Trump: “Look, he’s a friend of mine. I agree with many things that he does. I don’t agree with other things that he does.“ His style is not to the liking of many British people, but we should recognise we’re lucky to have an American president that actually likes us.
“And I think Ed Davey’s idea that the King should cancel the visit to America is a really immature and stupid idea.“We’ve had our ups and downs with America over the years. We’ll have them in the years to come. My worry right now is that America, as a whole, is losing respect for us.
“And frankly if it’s going to take two weeks for HMS Dragon to get to Cyprus, I think the rest of the world is losing respect for us.”
To applause from Reform UK supporters gathered on the forecourt of the filling station in the hamlet of Newhaven, Mr Farage added that it was “about time we started respecting ourselves”, and elected a government that “put our British forces first” and made sure veterans are not sleeping rough on the streets “whilst young men who come by dinghy are put in four star hotels”.
“A complete change of approach – that’s what we’re calling for,” Mr Farage said.
Pressed on how he would respond to a potential US request for help from UK troops, Mr Farage said: “We don’t have the soldiers anyway. Even if we did, I would say it’s no to boots on the ground.”
Reform’s Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns previously declined to rule out putting troops on the ground in the Middle East.
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Going to war is the most serious decision a prime minister can make.
“Nigel Farage spent the past week calling for escalation that would make cost-of-living pressures even worse.“If he had been prime minister he would have already dragged our country into this war, and wouldn’t be able to U-turn like he has done today.
“While Keir Starmer offers serious, level-headed leadership in the national interest, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch have shown themselves to be unfit for office.”
A Labour source said: “Nigel Farage and Reform spent the past week saying they would bomb Iran.“Now they’re backtracking as petrol prices rise, leaving their foreign policy in chaos.“That’s not serious leadership, that’s panic.”