Nigel Farage raises 'mass migration' concerns during Milton Keynes rally
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage visited Buckinghamshire on Tuesday as part of his party’s local election campaign, and spoke to reporters about what he would do to tackle some of the county’s biggest challenges.
Asked about the condition of roads in Buckinghamshire — with some residents describing parts of the county as “pothole hell” — Mr Farage said he agreed the issue was a concern and that Reform, as a relatively new organisation running councils, still had more to learn.
“I agree with that,” he said. “We are running 10 councils in the majority. We’re running two with a minority.
“We’re having some very good results and some mixed results. And I’m going up next week to Sunderland to look at a new pothole filling substance.
“The problem is you fill them and then you’ve got to refill them again. We are 10 months in as a relatively new organisation to running councils. We’ve still got more to learn.”
He was also questioned about concerns over new housing developments on green belt land and whether enough infrastructure is being provided alongside them.
Farage said population growth had placed increasing pressure on existing communities. He said: “We’ve had an over 10 million increase in population due to government policy in the last 20 years. Mass migration has put massive pressure on areas like this.
“Personally, we need more new towns. I think just adding on, adding on, adding on and not giving people enough new roads or new GP surgeries is really fraying the patients and council taxpayers.
“The country needs to rethink a new town strategy, which of course Milton Keynes was a part of to begin with.”
Farage was asked whether he would pledge support to back the return of accident and emergency department to the town, which has been without an A&E unit for more than 20 years.
He said: “Well, I mean, to be fair, we’re not electing Buckinghamshire Council. Or what comes after it. I’m here today to talk about Milton Keynes. So, I can’t answer that question at this minute in time. We didn’t win the council in Buckinghamshire. We never thought we would. But I think here in Milton Keynes this year, the prospects are slightly different.”
It comes after the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB), the area’s NHS commissioning body, said reopening an accident and emergency department in High Wycombe could “destabilise other units” and “see too few patients to operate safely”
Over 10,000 people have now signed a petition calling for the return of A&E services at Wycombe Hospital. Patients needing care at an A and E must currently travel to Stoke Mandeville, Wexham Park or Oxford hospitals – journeys that can take 30 to 45 minutes. The towns A and E closed in 2005 under reforms that saw emergency care focused in larger hospitals.
Reform UK’s spokesperson for home affairs, Zia Yusuf, told supporters at a rally in Buckinghamshire that the party would end what he called the “incendiary practice” of converting churches into mosques.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, Mr Yusuf said the party “values the traditions that built our nation” and said Reform would never apologise for our history or for defending the UK’s culture.
He said: “That’s why we will protect the Christian heritage of Britain; we will end the incendiary practice of converting churches into mosques.
“I am proud to announce a Reform government will immediately grant listed status to all churches and create a new statutory use category for Christian places of worship.
“And ensure that these historic pillars of our communities can never be converted into places of worship for any other faith.”
Mr Yusuf, a Muslim businessman and millionaire, received applause and cheers from members of the public attending the event in response to the pledge.
He added: “Because a nation without a culture isn’t a nation at all, it's just an economic zone, a shopping mall with a flag. Waiting to be exploited.”
This would mean their character could not be altered and would grant listed status to around 40,000 churches to protect their architectural heritage and cultural character, this Reform said would protect the country’s Christian heritage.