Ukip has moved from Farage’s dog-whistle politics into something darker
(Picture: AFP)Everyone knows that Twitter rarely forgives – and never forgets.
And today it’s poor old Nigel Farage who’s on the receiving end of the platform’s elephant memory.
Last night, British tennis star Emma Raducanu made history when she won the US Open with a 6-4 6-3 win over Canadian player Leylah Fernandez.
With her stunning victory, Raducanu became the first qualifier to ever win a grand slam, as well as the first British woman to win a major singles title for 44 years.
We are taking her HOMEEE❤️🇬🇧🏆 pic.twitter.com/L6P52UFpAm
— Emma Raducanu (@EmmaRaducanu) September 12, 2021
Unsurprisingly, praise poured in for the teenage star and the former UKIP leader was among those who decided to publicly congratulate the player. He wrote:
A global megastar is born. @EmmaRaducanu winning the US Open is truly incredible. 👏
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 11, 2021
However, it wasn’t long before people pointed out that his well-wishes seemed a little hypocritical in light of some of his previous remarks about immigration and, in particular, Romanians.
Raducanu was born in Canada to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, before moving to England, aged 2.
Back in 2014, Farage said that “any normal and fair-minded person” would be concerned if they had Romanians for neighbours.
Speaking to host James O’Brien during a car crash interview on LBC, he said: “I was asked a question if a group of Romanian men moved in next to you, would you be concerned? If you lived in London I think you would be.”
And that wasn’t all, although we’re sure Farage wishes it was.
The outspoken Brexiteer is married to a German woman and has bilingual children and was also asked by O’Brien to explain what the difference would be if a group of German speaking children moved in next door.
Farage claimed there was an obvious “difference”.
After the interview, Farage said in a statement: “Any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door.”
But he did appear to relent later on, saying he “regretted” the fact that he “didn’t use the form of words in response that I would have liked to have used”, adding: “In life sometimes people get things wrong.”
Yet, his anti-immigration rhetoric has continued over the past seven years. What’s more, in an advert which he took out in the Daily Telegraph shortly after that interview – in which he insisted UKIP was “not a racist party” – Farage said: “We should not be in a political union with Romania, with an opened door to all of their citizens. We must take back the power to stop criminals from entering our country by taking back control of our borders.
“When this happens my answer to the question, ‘should people be concerned if a group of Romanian men moved in next door?’ will be ‘no’.”
Unsurprisingly, people were quick to remind Farage about those comments as he was accused of “jumping on the bandwagon” of Raducanu’s success:
Had a rethink Nigel? pic.twitter.com/pwxKFc0Fgy
— #BlackLivesMatter 🧡 (@Star_BLM) September 12, 2021
I'm sorry Mr Farage, I don't think you get to do this
— Alex Taylor (@AlexTaylorNews) September 12, 2021
You've done more over the years than anyone to make sure people like her father and family felt they weren't welcome in the UK. You of all people don't get to bask, even in a tweet, in a wonderfully British success story pic.twitter.com/dIZBNDcKCR
If you’ve ever said anything bad about Romanians, if you’ve ever said anything supportive of Farage, don’t you *dare* try to bask in the glory of Raducanu.
— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) September 12, 2021
Oh the irony of this. Is @Nigel_Farage actually a parody site? pic.twitter.com/rS1g0m2Ngd
— Tony Nairn (@tonynairn) September 12, 2021
Nigel - ‘I wouldn’t want to live next door to a Romanian’ - Farage, on the daughter of a Romanian immigrant
— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) September 11, 2021
3-0 in the culture wars so far in 2021 https://t.co/BXX6K7Yl2M
No. You cannot jump on this bandwagon after years of immigrant bashing. Emma is the best of British. You however…
— Therese 💙 (@Tesz) September 11, 2021
I see that Nigel Farage is hailing Emma Raducanu’s triumph. The same Farage who said people living in London would be 'concerned' if a group of Romanian men moved in next door. Shameless.
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) September 11, 2021
Others, including Gary Lineker (who likes to call out certain people on Twitter from time-to-time), just used it as a chance to mock him:
He won’t be able to afford to live next door to @EmmaRaducanu so he needn’t worry. 🤢 https://t.co/lgUTLEAZWt
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) September 11, 2021
Fun fact- Nigel Farage lost the first of his 7 attempts to become an MP before Emma Raducanu was born.
— Mr Ethical (@nw_nicholas) September 12, 2021
Emma is a national icon. You’re a national embarrassment. pic.twitter.com/DSC4EB0rdz
— Sam Bright (@WritesBright) September 11, 2021
But Sport England board member Chris Grant said he welcomed the comments from Farage, as well as the positive coverage of the 18-year-old in all parts of the media.
Referencing the pictures of people, including families of colour, celebrating Raducanu’s win at her former tennis club, he told the Guardian: “That a tennis club is a diverse place is socially significant in this country, and that’s happening quietly and inexorably. That’s why the Farage thing ultimately becomes irrelevant, because it’s happening anyway.”
Meanwhile, Farage isn’t the only person who’s been criticised for his remarks on Raducanu.
Piers Morgan infamously told Raducanu to “toughen up” after she pulled out of Wimbledon this summer. Now, he’s claimed that she won the US Open after “taking his advice”.
Piers Morgan and Nigel Farage hailing Emma Raducanu’s victory is the very definition of shamelessness.
— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) September 11, 2021
If you want to watch Farage squirm during that terrible LBC interview, you can still do so here.
