Nigel Farage Resigns From Radio Show After Comparing Statue Destroyers to Taliban
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British political commentator and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage resigned from his LBC radio show “with immediate effect” on Thursday.
LBC, also known as Leading Britain’s Conversation, announced in a Twitter post that “Nigel Farage’s contract with LBC is up very shortly and, following discussions with him, Nigel is stepping down from LBC with immediate effect.”
“We thank Nigel for the enormous contribution he has made to LBC and wish him well,” the statement concluded.
Nigel Farage’s contract with LBC is up very shortly and, following discussions with him, Nigel is stepping down from LBC with immediate effect. We thank Nigel for the enormous contribution he has made to LBC and wish him well.
— LBC (@LBC) June 11, 2020
According to the Guardian, Farage’s LBC producer revealed the Brexit leader learned the news of his own resignation on social media.
Though LBC did not reveal the reason for his departure, Sky News reported that LBC has come under fire for their employment of Farage, given his criticism of Black Lives Matter and the destruction of statues by George Floyd protesters.
After clashing with Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan over Black Lives Matter this week, Farage declared, “Black Lives Matter is a far left Marxist organisation that wants to abolish the police and dismantle capitalism. That won’t change just because 4 other panelists tried to shout down the truth on GMB this morning.”
The Guardian also reported that “sources at the station pointed to internal fury over his comments earlier this week comparing protestors who destroyed the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol to the ‘taliban’.”
Farage’s LBC colleague James O’Brien appeared to celebrate the resignation on Thursday, tweeting, “We got our station back.”
We got our station back.
— James O’Brien (@mrjamesob) June 11, 2020
Farage is primarily known in the United States for his support for President Donald Trump.
Speaking at one of Trump’s election campaign rallies in 2016, Farage told the audience, “I cannot possibly tell you how you should vote in this election. But you know I get it, I get it. I’m hearing you. But I will say this, if I was an American citizen I wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me.”
