Nigel Farage faced criticism for his unsupported assertion that migrants are hunting and consuming swans from public parks. The leader of Reform UK implied that individuals from Eastern Europe were capturing swans from Royal Parks and fish from ponds in the UK for consumption. However, the Royal Parks promptly refuted this claim, stating that they had not received any reports of such incidents in London’s eight Royal Parks.
A spokesperson for the Royal Parks clarified, “There have been no reports of people harming or eating swans within our parks. Our wildlife officers collaborate closely with the Swan Sanctuary to safeguard the well-being of the swans across the parks.” Some of the parks managed by the Royal Parks charity include Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, and Richmond Park.
During a phone-in on LBC, Mr. Farage was asked about former US President Donald Trump’s unfounded allegation last year that Haitian immigrants in the US were consuming cats and dogs, a claim he did not consider proven. When questioned if he would acknowledge a year later that the US President’s claim was baseless, Mr. Farage diverted the discussion to the possibility of swan consumption in Britain, drawing a parallel to Mr. Trump’s pet-eating assertion, which he deemed difficult to verify or disprove.
Mr. Farage questioned, “If I told you that people were eating swans in Royal Parks in this country, and that fish were being taken from ponds and eaten by individuals from cultures where such practices are acceptable, would you believe it is happening here?” When asked if he was referring to Eastern Europeans, he responded affirmatively.
In a separate part of the LBC interview, Mr. Farage declined to comment on whether Donald Trump was irresponsible for linking paracetamol to autism, citing that “science is never settled.” Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticized Mr. Farage, labeling him as lacking in knowledge and conviction, and described him as a purveyor of unscientific and anti-NHS views.
Previously, the US President had suggested a potential link between Tylenol (known as paracetamol in the UK) and autism, citing a purported surge in autism cases, a claim that triggered immediate backlash from experts and medical authorities.
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