Journalist Andrew Neil has praised the RNLI after the charity publicly thanked its supporters following criticism from Nigel Farage over its approach to rescuing migrants.
Neil said the support the charity had seen after Farage – who has a show on Neil’s channel GB News – accused it of facilitating illegal immigration was “much deserved”, adding: “You are the epitome of courage and self-sacrifice. The very best of British, in fact.”
It’s much deserved. You are the epitome of courage and self-sacrifice. The very best of British, in fact. https://t.co/pR6jW90mcz
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 29, 2021
It comes after people donated more than £200,000 to the charity after chief executive Mark Dowie hit back at Farage, who compared the RNLI to a “taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs”. In another rant on GB News, Farage stood by his suggestion.
"I have no desire to pick a fight with the RNLI, all I was doing is pointing out the truth. But if you, the bosses in Poole, want to pick a fight with me, that's fine by me, I've fought people bigger and uglier than you"
— GB News (@GBNEWS) July 28, 2021
Nigel hits back at the RNLI pic.twitter.com/w9L43zIXj8
Although he claimed that he had “massive admiration” for the RNLI, he added that the French and British authorities are not doing enough to stop migrant boats from attempting to cross the Channel.
But despite Farage sharing these views on GB News, channel founder Neil appeared to not share his stance and expressed support for the charity.
Reacting to his words, some questioned why Neil had given Farage to talk about the RNLI:
Andrew Neil employs Farage. It’s his channel that gives him a platform he would not otherwise have & which enabled him to launch his attacks on the RNLI. The utter hypocrisy of this. https://t.co/3iIPMyFuMR
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) July 29, 2021
Glad you support them. But don’t you employ the man that started all this, by calling them a ‘migrant taxi service’?
— Kate Wilton (@KateWilton1) July 29, 2021
All very well tweeting that now, you've platformed someone who'd let people drown.
— lovejoy92 (@lovejoy92) July 29, 2021
And yet you gave Farage (rhymes with garage) a platform to spout hatred against them. Shame on you
— Clare Fulloway 💙 (@clarebear1968) July 29, 2021
You employ Nigel Farage. Nigel Farage uses the platform you give him to bash the RNLI for saving lives of men, women and children. What kind of man are you?
— John Spiers (@squeezyjohn) July 29, 2021
Another referred to the channel suspending broadcaster Guto Harri for taking the knee as a gesture of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. They questioned if Farage would similarly be suspended:
Glad that you have a somewhat better attitude than your colleague.
— edward price (@EdwdPrice) July 29, 2021
Is he going to be suspended or does he have to kneel down first? pic.twitter.com/uvUuLBKcTs
While RNLI received some criticism from those who agreed with Farage, it was broadly inundated with support.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab praised the charity’s work, saying they “do an incredible job, they have got this great heart and soul to them”.
He added: “I think they operate within the legal rules and that is part of this country. We are a big-hearted country.
“At the same time, if we are talking about the wider small boats issue, that is something where, absolutely at the same time, we need to come down as hard as is humanly possible, working with our French partners,” he said.
The health secretary Sajid Javid tweeted that he had made a donation and wanted to thank the charity “for all that you do”.
And other politicians expressed their support:
It is terrible this is controversial. It is brilliant the way it is said. Thank you @RNLI and all your amazing team members. https://t.co/gNOwcOmRp9
— David Miliband (@DMiliband) July 28, 2021
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has saved over 142,700 lives at sea.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 29, 2021
You are shameless chancer who, after failing to become an MP seven times, says anything in exchange for cash on Cameo.
Have some respect for the heroes on our lifeboats and delete this garbage. pic.twitter.com/Hrl3G25mp9
This is where the hate whipped-up by the likes of Nigel Farage, Priti Patel & the right-wing press has led us:@RNLI – a charity that saves men, women & children from death at sea – is being forced to justify their heroic work.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) July 28, 2021
Shame on the bigots whose hate diminishes us all. https://t.co/yrmlD4Ks77
Thanking their supporters, the charity had said:
We just want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you from everyone in the RNLI family for the outpouring of support we’ve received in the past few days.
— RNLI (@RNLI) July 29, 2021
They added: “We simply wanted to tell our volunteer crews’ story and make it clear that our charity exists to save lives at sea. Our mission is to save every one. Without the generosity of our supporters, we could not save lives at sea. Every one of you is a lifesaver.”
