Farage condemns 'ugly' comments by Reform UK MP but denies they're racist

Nigel Farage has said comments made by Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin about ethnic minorities on TV adverts were “ugly”, but has refused to say they were racist.

The Reform leader has been under pressure to suspend Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, after she told a media phone-in that it drives her “mad” to “see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people”.

During an appearance on TalkTV, Pochin added that “it doesn’t reflect our society” and “your average white person, average white family is… not represented any more”.

The MP has since apologised, saying her comments had been “phrased poorly”, but appeared to stand by the sentiment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Farage had “questions to answer” over what he labelled an example of “shocking racism”.

But Farage insisted he did not believe the “intention” behind her comments was “racist” and suggested they should be read in the context of “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) madness”.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: “I am unhappy with what she has done.

“I understand the basic point, but the way she put it, the way she worded it, was wrong and was ugly, and if I thought that the intention behind it was racist, I would have taken a lot more action than I have to date.”

Starmer, speaking to broadcasters during a visit to Turkey on Monday, was asked whether Pochin had been racist to make the remarks.

“Yes, she was,” he said. “It’s shocking racism and it’s the sort of thing that will tear our country apart, and it tells you everything about Reform.

“Nigel Farage has got some questions to answer, because either he doesn’t consider it racist, which in my view is shocking in itself, or he does think it’s racist and he’s shown absolutely no leadership.

“I’m the prime minister of the whole of our country, our reasonable, tolerant, diverse country, and I want to serve the whole country.

“He can’t even call out racism.”

In a statement following her initial remarks, Pochin claimed she had been trying to say the advertising industry had gone “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) mad”.

“My comments were phrased poorly and I apologise for any offence caused, which was not my intention,” she said.

“The point I was trying to make is that the British advertising agency world have gone DEI mad and many adverts are now unrepresentative of British society as a whole.

“I will endeavour to ensure my language is more accurate going forward.”