People are coming to the defence of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and have donated more than £200,000 to the charity after it was attacked by Nigel Farage who compared them to a “taxi service for illegal trafficking gangs”.
In a five minute rant on his GB News show on Wednesday evening, the former leader of the Brexit Party again criticised the RNLI after its chief executive Mark Dowie directly responded to Farage in the Guardian, saying that the institution was “very proud” of its humanitarian work and that its purpose was to save lives. More than 9,000 people have reportedly crossed the Channel in 2021.
In response, Farage claimed that he had “massive admiration” for the RNLI but believes that the French and British authorities are not doing enough to stop migrant boats from attempting to cross the Channel. Farage then doubled down on his comments claiming he was “pointing out the truth” and bragged that if they want a fight he’s “fought people bigger and uglier than you.”
"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
Earlier on Wednesday, the RNLI had released a four-minute video, featuring bodycam footage of a rescue of a dinghy, full of people, that was stuck in perilous conditions.
We're proud of the lifesaving work our volunteers do in the Channel – we make no apology for it. Those we rescue are vulnerable people in danger & distress. Each of them is someone’s father, mother, son or daughter - every life is precious. This is why we launch: pic.twitter.com/lORd9NRpdP
— RNLI (@RNLI) July 28, 2021
Of course, Farage has had a few people parrot his remarks, such as Darren Grimes who called the rescue missions in the Channel “deeply irresponsible.” However, the majority of people have come out in support of the RNLI with many feeling that the lifeboat charity should not be having to be defend itself against these accusations and thanking them for their heroic work.
Keep up the great work @RNLI because as some of your disparagers repeatedly told us All Lives Matter.
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) July 29, 2021
Beyond depressing that saving human life is work that an organisation is forced to ‘defend’. Migrants are human beings whose lives matter. Thank you, @RNLI for all that you do. https://t.co/FY2IidVvaD
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 28, 2021
‘We do not judge, we are there to save lives’
— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) July 29, 2021
👏 👏 👏 https://t.co/0RyNqsMmjY
The RNLI is a life saving charity. Please don’t try and politicise them. You’d be surprised when you might need them. Would you like their first question to be; ‘Can you tell me your politics?’ https://t.co/MkRKcTw3d4
— Adrian Edmondson (@AdrianEdmondson) July 28, 2021
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
Thank you @RNLI for all that you do. https://t.co/MkdOU1IHaP
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) 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
So powerful. The little girl’s hand as she comes aboard, gripping on is same size as my daughter’s little mitt 💔 https://t.co/DhyMEiINzh
— sara cox💙 (@sarajcox) July 28, 2021
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
Others have pledged to donate more money to the cause and encouraged others to do the same.
This does nothing except raise the profile of a superb charity, and compel me to change my one-off donation to a monthly standing order.
— 𝚁𝚊𝚟 (@TVRav) July 29, 2021
The @RNLI couldn't buy this type of exposure! https://t.co/KoSvT13bEc
Mr Neil @afneil, remind me again what the aim of setting up GBNews was? Only I don't recall 'hitting back' or 'pick a fight' with the @RNLI was on your agenda was it? #FireFarage, apologise to the RNLI and give them a massive donation. pic.twitter.com/PXVXXxvk3F
— Andrew Parnall 💙 Love UK, hate Brexit #FBPE (@dontbrexitfixit) July 29, 2021
I chose to donate.
— GREIGE XVS1300A🏍 🏴SAOR ALBA (@GREIGEXVS1300A) July 29, 2021
It's something I've been considering for a while.
I'd like to thank Nigel Farage and his cohorts for helping me to decide which charity to support.
https://t.co/EvZhDNkaf5
Serious tweet alert!
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) July 28, 2021
The best way to show the likes of Nigel Fartage & Darren Slimes how out of touch their hateful views are is to give the RNLI some love. I have just donated and I would encourage those of you who can to do the same. xhttps://t.co/h0tf6nLFT8
You can make a one off donation to the RNLI here https://t.co/91TLIShQbt. It would be nice if they saw an uptick in donations on a day when they’ve been forced to justify saving lives. https://t.co/hL1yLFPaCJ
— Hannah Williams (@flamingnora) July 28, 2021
I just made a donation to the @RNLI
— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) July 28, 2021
- I think you should all pile in too. Let’s do this for these heroes - and for every person who needs rescuing in our waters. 👇https://t.co/GlFfeSB5C3
We have to revisit this again because of racist morons. As before, let's turn it into an increase in donations to this important charity. https://t.co/MGBooKIUQ1
— Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) July 28, 2021
It has since been revealed that more than £200,000 has been raised for the RNLI via their website in the last 24 hours which is a 2000 per cent increase from the previous day. Their usual average is between £6000 to £7000. There has also been a 270 per cent increase in people viewing volunteer roles on the site too.
In a press release Jayne George, the RNLI Fundraising Marketing and Media Director said: "We are overwhelmed with the huge level of support we have received from our amazing supporters in the last couple of days. We have seen an uplift in donations, with over £200K being donated yesterday alone through a combination of one-off donations, new regular support and supporters increasing their regular donation amount. This is simply incredible.
"This was never a fundraising campaign – we simply wanted to tell the story of our crews and make it clear that our charity exists to save lives at sea. Our mission is to save everyone. Our supporters’ kindness means so much to us, without them we could not save lives at sea, everyone is a lifesaver.
"We know that this is a polarising issue and people have strong opinions on the subject. Sadly, a small number of supporters have contacted us to withdraw their support."
Farage began complaining about the migrant boats arriving in the UK last year and specifically focused on those arriving in Kent and Sussex. This appears to have whipped up a minority of people who have apparently taken to abusing RNLI volunteers when they returned to shore after rescuing migrants.
Thank you everyone for all your positive and supportive words. Everyone on station is overwhelmed. #OneCrew 🧡🧡🧡
— Tower RNLI (@TowerRNLI) July 27, 2021
An anonymous volunteer told the BBC that they have been confronted by “angry mobs” and called it “one of the most upsetting things I’ve ever seen” with another saying that “some drunken yob threw a beer can at them” at a group of migrant women and children.
Much criticism has also been aimed at Priti Patel and the home office who have been using Facebook adverts in an attempt to stop migrants from making their way across the channel from the camps in Calais and Dunkirk.
The ads on Facebook and Instagram featured slogans such as “There is no hiding place”, “Don’t put your or your child’s life in danger” and “We will return you” – translated into Kurdish, Arabic, Persian and Pashto.
The Home Office claim that these adverts have reached thousands of people and aim to highlight the risks of making the journey across the sea. However, data compiled by PA finds that more than 7,000 people still made the journey since the five-month ad campaign ended.
Many of those who saw the campaign on Facebook and Instagram are people who have been assisted by migrant charity Care4Calais while living in France.
Founder Clare Moseley accused the Home Office of “wasting money” and called on the Government to step up to help refugees.
She added: “I’m genuinely horrified by the lengths this Government will go to to avoid helping desperate people.“Refugees risk their lives to escape from some of the world’s most dangerous countries, fully aware that this could be the last journey they make.
“It’s extremely naive of this Government to think that social media ads will deter them. This isn’t a choice.”
It costs on average £180 million to run each year. The charity has 238 lifeboat stations around the coast of the UK and Ireland and it does not act as border patrol. When a rescue is complete responsibility is handed over to the necessary authorities.
