Nigel Farage Called Out For 'Inflaming' Tensions Around The Leeds Riot With 'Misinformation'

Nigel Farage has been accused of making inflammatory remarks over the Leeds riot on Thursday evening.

Violence broke out in the Harehills part of the city, with officers called to an incident between agency workers and children.

Once the youths were relocated to a safe area, more people gravitated towards the area.

Tensions rose and objects were thrown at the police, a car was overthrown and a double-decker bus was set on fire.

Leeds City Council later said the clash was triggered by a “family incident”, although the details are unclear.

A Green Party councillor Mothin Ali even stepped in to help curb the violence by forming a human shield.

Then, Farage, the Reform UK leader, who was still in the US for the Republican Convention at the time, responded to footage of the riot on X.

He wrote: “The politics of the subcontinent are currently playing out on the streets of Leeds. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Labour’s Leeds Central and Headingley MP, Alex Sobel, replied angrily, writing: “This is a situation you know nothing about and no one has briefed you on.

“You are inflaming a situation with misinformation. Politicians have a responsibility to not exacerbate situations particularly with no knowledge of them.

“I expect you to issue an apology.”

Chief executive of Hope Not Hate Nick Lowles said Farage was making “cheap political attacks from America”, saying the Reform leader had his facts “completely wrong”.

The home secretary Yvette Cooper released a statement in response to the riots, saying they were “disgraceful” and “very distressing for local residents”.

She said that “those responsible must face the full force of the law and West Yorkshire Police have my support”.