“Nigel Farage will talk out of both sides of his mouth but he has been consistent about […] his support and admiration for Vladimir Putin.”
The business secretary Peter Kyle has hit out at Reform’s “Russia problem” in an interview this morning.
Asked about his reaction to former Reform leader in Wales Nathan Gill being sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison, he said that some parties have “outliers”, adding “but with Reform they have a Russia problem in their party.”
Gill was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to eight counts of bribery. He received around £40,000 for making pro-Russia statements in TV interviews and in the European Parliament while he was an MEP.
Kyle told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that Farage “has often leant into Vladimir Putin, he has used his talking points. Nigel Farage has often praised Vladimir Putin in the past.”
He added: “It is clear that there is a culture within Reform which has leant them towards the kind of strongman Russia of the past but also it is the present as well.”
Ridge said “He would dispute that. He says that that is absolutely just coming from Labour smears, and that he’s done a lot more recently to put distance between him and Putin.”
“Well just look at the facts, look at what he said in the past. Look at the amount of times he’s appeared on Russian TV networks. Look at the times he has praised Vladimir Putin. Look at the times when he has explained away the decisions of Vladimir Putin.”
The Reform leader has previously repeated “Putin talking points”, stating that the west and expansionism by “the EU Empire” provoked Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In 2014, both Gill and Farage made speeches in which they said Islamic extremism is more of a threat to Western civilisation than Putin.
They also claimed that the West had encouraged the 2014 uprising in Ukraine and the overthrow of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, which led to Putin reacting.
Farage said the moral of the story is that “when you poke the Russian bear with a stick, don’t be surprised when he reacts”.
Asked in a GQ Magazine interview in March 2014 which world leader he admired most at the time, he said: “As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin.”
Referring to how Putin intervened to stop the West getting militarily involved in Syria in 2013, Farage said: “The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant.”
The Sky News presenter argued that Farage has condemned Putin more recently.
Kyle said: “More recently when the entire country has realised just how dangerous Vladimir Putin is, of course Nigel Farage does a reverse ferret as he often does.”
“Nigel Farage will talk out of both sides of his mouth but he has been consistent about one thing in the past over many many years and that’s his support and admiration for Vladimir Putin.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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