“Enoch Powell did the same in the 1960s and it was a wholly destructive contribution to a civilised society.”
In stark contrast to some in his party who have decided to engage in a race to the bottom with Reform UK, Tory peer Lord Heseltine has slammed Nigel Farage’s party as the ‘equivalent of 1930s right wing fascists’.
In what amounts to some of the most scathing criticism of Reform from any Tory politician, Lord Heseltine urged his party to denounce the “populist extremism” of Nigel Farage.
Speaking to a fringe meeting, Lord Heseltine added: “We will never, never, have any part in the populist extremism of Nigel Farage. We have to deal with President Trump for the next three years, we don’t want his mouthpiece anywhere near Number 10.”
Lord Heseltine later defended his comments on Newsnight, saying: “The fascists [of the 1930s] were anti-Jews, and protest today is anti-immigrant. The same argument, the same sort of human nature is being stirred up.
“Enoch Powell did the same in the 1960s and it was a wholly destructive contribution to a civilised society.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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