Trevor Phillips Confronts Nigel Farage Over ‘Offensive’ Remarks On British Muslims

Sky News host Trevor Phillips pushed back on Reform UK honourary president Nigel Farage over his claim that a “growing number” of young Muslims in the UK do not subscribe to British values, accusing the former GB News host of making a “blanket accusation” against Muslims.

Speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Farage said: “We have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values. In fact, loathe much of what we stand for.”

He cited a Henry Jackson Society poll showing 46 percent of British Muslims support Hamas, the proscribed terrorist organisation that carried out the attack on Israel on October 7th.

Farage blamed the Conservatives and Labour for increased immigration.

He said: “Nobody in history has allowed more people who are potentially really going to fight against British values than Mr Sunak.”

This comment drew criticism from Phillips, who found it offensive to British Muslims.

Farage defended his stance, asserting he was not attacking Islam but addressing specific community elements. He also went on to dismiss the idea that Brexit caused immigration increases, claiming it allowed the UK to control its policies.

Farage, who announced he would not stand in the upcoming general election but would campaign on behalf of Reform UK before heading to the United States to campaign for Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign, criticised the government’s immigration policies under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, suggesting they had failed to manage the issue effectively.

Read the full exchange below:

Farage: “And most interestingly, we have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values, in fact, loathe much of what we stand for. So what do you do?”

Phillips: “Who are we talking about there?”

Farage: “Oh, I think we see them on the streets of London every Saturday.”

Phillips: “What do they look like? Are we talking about Muslims here?”

Farage: “We are. And I’m afraid I found some of the recent surveys saying that 46 percent of British Muslims support Hamas, support a terrorist organisation, that is proscribed in this country. And what’s interesting is that this Prime Minister is building up far more of that population than anybody before in history.”

Phillips: “Well, this is very interesting, and we don’t have that survey in front of us, but let’s just unpick what you’ve just said. Are you sure you want to make the blanket accusation that you’ve just made that Muslims are somehow less patriotic than other British [demonstrators at pro-Palestine protests]?”

Farage: “Did you watch the recent elections that took place up and down the country?”

Phillips: “We don’t know they support Hamas. Would you like just to revisit what you said at all?”

Farage: “Let’s be clear. There is a growing population of people in this country, a lot of them very young, who have recently been voting for and electing candidates, right, up and down the country, in inner cities, who stand for a set of values, that are completely, not only don’t subscribe to our values, but in many cases are totally against our values. And the marches, there are some on those marches. Equally, there are lots of upper middle class girls called Jocasta [referring to the incestous mother of Oedipus in Greek mythology who unwittingly married her son] on those marches as well, and I understand that. But we have to face the fact, and at some point, by 2029, the Labour Party will have to face the fact that they started a policy of irresponsible, open door immigration, but nobody, but nobody in history has allowed more people in who are potentially going to fight against British values than Mr Sunak. And if you look at those figures last week, if you look at the sheer numbers that were coming in last week, you really have to ask yourself some questions.”

Phillips: “Well, is this the thrust of the Reform [UK] campaign, that actually immigration means that our values are threatened Muslims, because that is a pretty incendiary proposition.”

Farage: “We have never before seen anything like this. You think about West Indian immigration into Britain, the post-World War II.”

Phillips: “I think of very little else.”

Farage: “West Indian immigration into Britain post-World War II, there were a lot of shared things there, shared history, shared culture, shared religion in many cases. Most families that came could say one of their family had served with British forces in World War I, World War II, love of cricket… You know, the list goes on, but the work home analysis and you know, as you know, with your previous job, the key to immigration is integration. If you get integration, it works. What we’ve done is… and this this works on several levels. What we’ve done.

Phillips: “I’m going to stop you there and I’m going to say two things.”

Farage: “Well, here’s the difference…”

Phillips: “No, no, I’m going to tell you something about the difference. First of all you’re right, I come from that stock. But let us remember that my stock, my ancestors for the best part of seven or 800 years were Muslims until they were forcibly converted to Christians by slave owners. So, when you talk about Muslims as hostile to British values, I’ve got to say…”

Farage: [attempts to interrupt]

Phillips: “Let me finish what I’m going to say. I don’t really see how you arrive at that conclusion. And secondly, trying to say to me, ‘You know, actually, you guys are not really like these other guys.’ I mean, you and I have known each other a long time. Can you imagine how offensive that is to a British Muslim?

Farage: “How many members? How many members?”

Phillips: “Let me ask you to put yourself in the shoes of a British Muslim, and can you imagine how offensive that feels?”

Farage: “How many people in your community fail to speak English?”

Phillips: “How many people?”

Farage: “…from the West Indian community don’t speak English.”

Phillips: “We all speak English, but actually so do most Indian Muslims, so do pretty much all Pakistani Muslims in this country.”

Farage: “I can take you to streets in Oldham where virtually no one speaks English.”

Phillips: “I’ve been there too, but honestly, come on. You’re not serious.”

Farage: “The point I’m making is this. I am not here to attack the religion of Islam, but I am here.”

Phillips: “Well, you’ve just been doing it for three minutes.”

Farage: “No, I haven’t. I’m telling you the alarming figures that have been coming out of these recent polls, particularly in the wake of what has happened on October the 7th and in Gaza, and we have a real, real problem here.”

Watch above on Sky News.