‘This lazy smear is disgraceful.’
A video of Nigel Farage visiting a British barbers went viral this week. In some ‘bants’ with the shop’s owner, Farage sarcastically says: “What a barbers that pays tax, no surely not!”
“There’s literally thousands of them [Turkish barbers] isn’t there, sprung up all over the country,” he adds.
The provocative video was concluded with Farage stating that this particular shop “doesn’t have a Turkish sign,” “actually has customers,” and “there’s no Lamborghini out the back” which is “unusual in modern Britain.”
The video was quickly met with a backlash.
Mike Sammon, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Cambridge Ward South, hit back on social media, pointing out that Turkish barbers in his area are open seven days a week, take card payments, and are “a welcome addition to our high streets.”
“It’s not right to make out they don’t pay tax when they clearly do.”
Others shared similar messages, noting the exceptional service they receive at these types of barber shops which accept card payment.
“Another week, another dog whistle… My local Turkish barber in North East London took card payments. They had dozens of loyal customers and were locally known and loved in the community. This lazy smear is disgraceful,” wrote one commentator.
Another explained how his child gets sensory overload when attending the barbers. “… the Muslim guy cutting his hair in the Turkish barbers went above and beyond to make him feel safe. It’s been nearly 4 years since I could get him over the door, I’ve had to shave it myself. Thank you.”
One comment sarcastically suggested: “In what seems to be another April Fool’s prank Nigel Farage claims to have found the only barber shop in the UK that isn’t Turkish.”
“The joke’s on Farage and anyone who peddles this sort of racism. Turkish barbers are amazing and you won’t get better customer service elsewhere.”
Farage’s video follows a Times report about the National Crime Agency investigating the boom in Turkish-style barber shops on high streets over concerns that premises are being used by gangsters for money laundering and other organised crime. However, the report also acknowledges that the majority of Turkish barbers are legitimate businesses.
In fact, barber shops, whether Turkish or otherwise, have become the fastest-growing sector in Britain’s retail economy, with around 20,000 registered shops across the country, thousands of which brand themselves as Turkish.
With so much competition, barbers are feeling the squeeze and some English barber shops are even doubling down on their Britishness as a selling point with displays of the Union Jack.
But, unlike Farage’s sensationalist video would have you believe, as the FT reports, English barbers aren’t the only ones feeling the squeeze. Some established Turkish barbers are calling upon local councils to limit the number of new shop licences. A regular complaint concerns employees running away to open their own shops, sometimes on the same street, and then advertising lower prices.
Turkish barbers are not only known for their high-quality services but also for their loyal customer bases, many of whom appreciate the welcoming atmosphere and tailored services.
As one dismayed viewer of Farage’s video observed: “Absolutely grotesque. I was at my favourite Turkish barbers today. Proper customer service, proper skilled workmen and the loveliest lads you’d ever meet.”
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