In a tense exchange full of interruptions, Nigel Farage gave Andrew Marr some of the answers he was asking for, but angrily slammed the BBC for ‘trawling back through a series of quotes from years ago’.
Andrew Marr: The only way that we can really judge the Brexit Party in the round at the moment is by looking at its leader, looking at you. So let’s look at you for a moment.
Nigel Farage: Well…
On the NHS, Mr Farage said he would ‘gleefully’ opt out of the NHS and pay into a private scheme if encouraged to do so
Marr: Do you still want to replace the NHS with a private insurance based system?
Farage: I never did. I would like to take the burden off the NHS. I mean, if you want to go back…
Marr: Yes I do want to go back
Farage: This is really very boring isn’t it
Marr: No it’s not boring
Farage: All you want to do is go back to stuff from years ago, why don’t we talk about now, in British politics. Why don’t we talk about the sea-change that is going on out there.
Marr: You are trying to lead an insurgent party to replace the main parties. Therefore you are an important figure, in this. [Quoting] ‘I think we’re going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare, I would feel more comfortable, my money would return value if I was able to do that through the marketplace of an insurance company than just trusting giving a hundred billion pounds a year to central government.’ Do you still hold that view?
Farage: If I was encouraged to opt-out of the system, to relieve the burden off the National Health Service, I would do so gleefully/. Do you want to discuss these european elections or not?
Marr: Yes I certainly do but…
Farage: Go on then. Go on then, lets’ try.
Marr: Do you still believe that worrying about global warming is ‘the stupidest thing in human history’?
Farage: I believe that if we decided, this country, to tax ourselves to the hilt, to put hundreds of thousands of people out of work in the manufacturing industries, given that we produce less than two per cent of global CO2, that isn’t terribly intelligent. But as I say: here we are, with one of the biggest changes in politics that has ever occurred…
On climate change, he said it would be ‘not terribly intelligent’ to raise taxes and risk jobs ‘given we produce less than 2% of CO2’. Pic: Climate protests in London
Marr: Okay…
Farage: … and you’re not even interested?
Marr: Do you still…
Farage: What’s wrong with the BBC?
Marr: Do you still want to…
Farage: What is wrong with the BBC?
Marr: Do you still want to roll back gun controls and reintroduce hand guns in this country?
Farage: What is wrong … This sums it up. Do you know, I’ve been going around the country, speaking at packed rallies every night, and do you know who’s not there? The BBC. And from this line of questioning now I can see why.
Marr: Do you still…
Farage: You’re just not interested are you?
Marr: Do you still feel uncomfortable with…
Farage: You are just…
Marr: … foreign languages being spoken on the train?
Farage: …not interested are you. Let’s talk about democracy, let’s talk about trust, let’s talk about competence in politics. This. Is. Ludicrous.
Marr: Do you still feel that people with HIV shouldn’t be allowed into this country?
Farage: Do I think the National Health Service is there for British people? Yes I absolutely do.
Marr: So you still do. Do you…
Farage: This is absolutely ludicrous. I’ve never in my life seen a more ridiculous interview than this. You are not prepared to talk about what is going on in this country today. You’re in denial, the BBC’s in denial, the Tory and Labour Parties are in denial. I think you’re all in for a bigger surprise on Thursday week…
Marr: We have talked about it…
Farage: … than you can imagine.
Marr: We have talked about it. Do you still admire Vladimir Putin?
He said he didn’t ‘admire’ Russian President Vladimir Putin as a person
Farage: No. I’ve never admired Vladimir Putin.
Marr: You, Well you asked which current…
Farage: I said I wouldn’t like to live in his country
Marr: Asked which world leader you most admired you told GQ..
Farage: This is absolute nonsense.
Marr: … magazine ‘as an operator but not as a human being, I would say Putin’
Farage: Well there you are
Marr: ‘The way he played the whole’ …
Farage: Well there you are
Marr: … ‘Syria thing’
Farage: Well there you are. Not as a human being. I don’t like him as a human being. What is your question? What is the relevance of this?
Marr: I’m trying to work out where you are and where the Brexit Party which wants to destroy the political system is going.
Farage: You haven’t asked about a single other member of the Brexit Party, you haven’t commented on the fact we have the most diverse list of candidates of any party fighting in this election.
Marr: From the Revolutionary Communist Party right through to the Right
Farage: Well that’s worth discussing isn’t it. How have we managed to get Left and Right together. These things are really interesting to your viewers. Not trawling back through a series of quotes from years ago.
Marr: Do you still want to slash the size of the state?
Farage: Absolutely. I want people to have more freedom. Absolutely, and particularly, 5.4 million people out there, acting as sole traders, running small businesses, and there’s nobody in government on their side. Let’s make their lives easier. They’ll create more jobs, pay more taxes, and it’ll be good for our country.