Nigel Farage has not come to Scotland during the General Election campaign because it is too “dangerous” after he was attacked by far Left activists the last time he visited, Richard Tice has said. The Telegraph has the story.
Mr. Tice, the Reform U.K. Chairman, said Mr. Farage’s safety had been jeopardised during a previous visit north of the border and he had to “think very carefully” about security.
He said this was a “tragedy” and it was “unlikely” that his party leader would make a campaign visit to Scotland before polling day next week.
Although Mr. Tice could not recall when Mr. Farage’s safety had been endangered during a visit to Scotland, the former Ukip leader had to be rescued by police in a riot van during a visit to Edinburgh in 2013.
Mr. Tice’s visit, near the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical plant on the Firth of Forth, was the first by a major Reform U.K. figure to Scotland since the election campaign started.
Asked why Mr. Farage was not present, he said: “He’s on great form, and he is incredibly busy. But in all seriousness, actually, the last time he did come to Scotland, it was dangerous, frankly.
“And, you know, that’s a tragedy. One of the things that Nigel had to think very carefully about was security and we’ve already seen some issues. We’ve had one of our candidates assaulted and hospitalised. None of the media wanted to report about that.”
He added: “That’s that’s the reality. Unfortunately, for senior figures in the political climate, actually of a number of parties but particularly I think for Nigel, security and safety is a real issue.
“But the fact that we’ve stood candidates in every seat here, I think, is a reflection of the impetus the hard work, the commitment that we as a party have got to Scotland, and I believe that we’re better together.”
Mr. Farage had arranged to meet Scottish journalists in a pub on the Royal Mile in May 2013, only for the event to be hijacked by hard-Left independence supporters.
As the protesters started chanting and singing, the pub’s management asked everyone to leave, forcing Mr. Farage onto the street and giving his team a major problem in trying to extricate him.
He was left stranded in the middle of the Royal Mile, surrounded by around 50 nationalists and socialists calling him a racist, but demanding that he: “Go home to England.”
Police officers attempted to persuade two taxi drivers to take Mr. Farage away from the trouble but both refused as the protesters continued to barrack the MEP with chants of “racist Nazi scum”.
Police officers then insisted for his own safety that he enter the Canon’s Gait pub, the wooden doors of which were then locked. Officers then ‘kettled’ him from the building into a riot van.
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