Morrissey has reaffirmed his support for the far-right, anti-Islam party For Britain and suggested that Nigel Farage “would make a good prime minister”.
The singer, who faced criticism after wearing a For Britain badge on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, responded to the backlash in an interview conducted by his nephew, Sam Esty Rayner, that was posted on his own website.
“The UK is a dangerously hateful place now, and I think we need someone to put a stop to the lunacy and to speak for everyone,” he said. “I see [For Britain leader] Anne Marie Waters as this person. She is extremely intelligent, ferociously dedicated to this country, she is very engaging, and also very funny at times.”
When asked about how he felt at being called a racist for various controversial comments he has made in the past, he responded: “If you call someone racist in modern Britain you are telling them that you have run out of words. You are shutting the debate down and running off. The word is meaningless now. Everyone ultimately prefers their own race – does this make everyone racist?”
Morrissey has faced criticism over previous comments about race, which include describing the Chinese as a “subspecies” and claiming “halal slaughter requires certification that can only be given by supporters of Isis”.
