News

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has admitted he spread misinformation about the Southport stabbings and named influencer Andrew Tate as a source of fake news. 

The right-wing MP for Clacton in Essex has previously expressed admiration for Tate, who is himself an avowed Farage supporter.

Farage has been accused of stirring trouble in the lead-up to anti-Muslim and racist riots across Britain following the murders of three children in Southport late last month. 

As false claims spread rapidly online that the attacker was a Muslim and illegal immigrant, on Tuesday last week Farage posted a video suggesting the “truth is being withheld” from the public about the killings. 

It was later revealed that the suspect was not Muslim but instead a British citizen of Rwandan Christian origin.

In an interview with LBC on Tuesday, Farage defended his actions, saying he was trying to find “the truth”.

He told presenter Tom Swarbrick: “There were stories online from some very prominent folks with big followings – Andrew Tate, etc – suggesting the man had crossed the English Channel in a boat in October 2023. Other suggestions that he was an active Muslim, and much of this led to the riots that we saw.

“I asked a very simple question – was this person known or not?”

Swarbrick challenged Farage, noting that he had said in the video that “some reports suggest he was known to the security services. Those reports were from a fake news website amplified by Russian state TV and, as you mentioned, Andrew Tate.”

Farage insisted that “what I asked for was clarity”. He proceeded to blame the riots on social media misinformation. 

‘Still a fan of Nigel’

A British-American kickboxer-turned-influencer awaiting trial on human trafficking and rape charges that he denies, Tate repeatedly spread misinformation after the Southport murders in posts that received millions of views on X.

Even after it emerged that the suspect was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, Tate – who is a Muslim – doubled down on his false claim that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. 

During the ensuing riots, the influencer claimed that the “British government hates white people so much they only punish rioters when they’re white” and appeared to compare far-right mobs to Palestinians in Gaza.

On Wednesday morning he hit back at Farage over the politician’s claims.

“I’m gravely concerned by Nigel Farage throwing me under the bus when he speaks to the legacy media,” Tate said in a video of himself in a car posted on X. 

“It shows that Nigel will bend to pressure. And if he’s afraid to stand up to a propagandist, how can he be trusted to stand up to the World Bank, to the UN, to the WEF, to the military industrial complex?”

Tate then appeared to defend the ongoing anti-Muslim and racist riots.

“He [Nigel] threw me under the bus saying the riots are my fault, because I put out a video. He didn’t say the riots are the fault of politicians who are not representing their people. 

“He didn’t say the people had a justified reason to feel like that they’re not being listened to when they’re instantly labelled as far right every time they have a legitimate concern.”

But Tate also clarified: “I’m still a fan of Nigel, I still believe he’s the best choice for the UK.” He added that he wants Farage to become prime minister.

In June, Farage praised Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist who said he has made millions of dollars from webcam services, for being an “important voice” and giving boys “perhaps a bit of confidence at school”. 

Earlier this year, Farage said Tate was defending “male culture” but added that he had said some “pretty horrible” things. 

Businesses in parts of Britain have boarded themselves up, as authorities brace for potential riots on Wednesday evening targeting immigration centres, refugee centres and lawyers’ homes. 

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has admitted he spread misinformation about the Southport stabbings and named influencer Andrew Tate as a source of fake news. 

The right-wing MP for Clacton in Essex has previously expressed admiration for Tate, who is himself an avowed Farage supporter.

Farage has been accused of stirring trouble in the lead-up to anti-Muslim and racist riots across Britain following the murders of three children in Southport late last month. 

As false claims spread rapidly online that the attacker was a Muslim and illegal immigrant, on Tuesday last week Farage posted a video suggesting the “truth is being withheld” from the public about the killings. 

It was later revealed that the suspect was not Muslim but instead a British citizen of Rwandan Christian origin.

In an interview with LBC on Tuesday, Farage defended his actions, saying he was trying to find “the truth”.

He told presenter Tom Swarbrick: “There were stories online from some very prominent folks with big followings – Andrew Tate, etc – suggesting the man had crossed the English Channel in a boat in October 2023. Other suggestions that he was an active Muslim, and much of this led to the riots that we saw.

“I asked a very simple question – was this person known or not?”

Swarbrick challenged Farage, noting that he had said in the video that “some reports suggest he was known to the security services. Those reports were from a fake news website amplified by Russian state TV and, as you mentioned, Andrew Tate.”

Farage insisted that “what I asked for was clarity”. He proceeded to blame the riots on social media misinformation. 

‘Still a fan of Nigel’

A British-American kickboxer-turned-influencer awaiting trial on human trafficking and rape charges that he denies, Tate repeatedly spread misinformation after the Southport murders in posts that received millions of views on X.

Even after it emerged that the suspect was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, Tate – who is a Muslim – doubled down on his false claim that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. 

During the ensuing riots, the influencer claimed that the “British government hates white people so much they only punish rioters when they’re white” and appeared to compare far-right mobs to Palestinians in Gaza.

On Wednesday morning he hit back at Farage over the politician’s claims.

“I’m gravely concerned by Nigel Farage throwing me under the bus when he speaks to the legacy media,” Tate said in a video of himself in a car posted on X. 

“It shows that Nigel will bend to pressure. And if he’s afraid to stand up to a propagandist, how can he be trusted to stand up to the World Bank, to the UN, to the WEF, to the military industrial complex?”

Tate then appeared to defend the ongoing anti-Muslim and racist riots.

“He [Nigel] threw me under the bus saying the riots are my fault, because I put out a video. He didn’t say the riots are the fault of politicians who are not representing their people. 

“He didn’t say the people had a justified reason to feel like that they’re not being listened to when they’re instantly labelled as far right every time they have a legitimate concern.”

But Tate also clarified: “I’m still a fan of Nigel, I still believe he’s the best choice for the UK.” He added that he wants Farage to become prime minister.

In June, Farage praised Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist who said he has made millions of dollars from webcam services, for being an “important voice” and giving boys “perhaps a bit of confidence at school”. 

Earlier this year, Farage said Tate was defending “male culture” but added that he had said some “pretty horrible” things. 

Businesses in parts of Britain have boarded themselves up, as authorities brace for potential riots on Wednesday evening targeting immigration centres, refugee centres and lawyers’ homes. 

Israeli media has published footage purportedly showing the moment soldiers in an infamous detention facility raped a Palestinian detainee.

Late last month, nine Israeli soldiers were arrested for the alleged rape of a Palestinian detained in Sde Teiman, a facility in southern Israel’s Negev desert.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, many Palestinians detained by Israeli forces have said they were sexually abused by troops at Sde Teiman.

However, no one had been arrested for the abuse until 29 July, when military police raided the facility, clashed with the soldiers and took them into custody.

The incident created a backlash in Israel, with a far-right mob, that included an MP and minister, storming the detention centre and a military court in protest against the arrests.

On Tuesday, Channel 12 released a video reputedly of the moment the Palestinian was sexually abused.

He was taken to a field hospital at Sde Teiman with “a ruptured bowel, a severe injury to his anus, lung damage and broken ribs”, according to media reports.

The footage released by Channel 12, taken from evidence used in the investigation, shows detained Palestinians lying on the floor with their hands and eyes covered.

A group of reserve soldiers are then seen taking one of the detainees aside, then trying to hide their subsequent actions with riot shields.

The reservists are members of Force 100, a unit tasked with guarding the prisoners in Sde Teiman.

According to Channel 12, the suspects in the case were found to be lying on a polygraph test.

Two suspects were asked two identical questions: “Did you insert an object into the Palestinian’s anus during a search? and “Are you hiding the identity of the person who inserted an object into the Palestinian’s anus?”

The suspects answered in the negative to both questions, with the examiner finding them both to be lying.

“During the examination, an unnatural breathing pattern was observed, which continued despite my repeated comments,” the examiner wrote, according to Channel 12.

“This pattern raises a very strong suspicion of deliberate attempts to disrupt the examination records.”

About 4,000 Palestinians have been detained from Gaza in Israel since October. Most are detained and interrogated in the enclave, but many are brought to Sde Teiman, even if they are a non-combatant.

Torture, rape and murder have all been reported as rife at the facility, one of several facilities where Palestinians have been mistreated for decades.

On 15 July, Israel’s High Court issued a conditional order seeking to close Sde Teiman in response to the reports of abuse there.

The court’s order seeks an explanation as to “why the Sde Teiman detention facility is not operated in accordance with the conditions set forth in the law governing internment of unlawful combatants”.

Investigations by Middle East Eye, CNN and the New York Times found widespread examples of abuse at the centre.