Nigel Farage accused the government of “ignoring the will of the people” after net migration reached a new record high.
The former leader of the Brexit Party asserted that annual net migration could have been limited to 50,000 if the Tories had taken the proper approach after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
He also predicted that the failure to restrict the number of people entering the United Kingdom after Brexit would spark “another political uprising” because “the gulf between Westminster and the people is even wider than it was a decade ago.”
No10 ‘ignored will of people’ on post-Brexit immigration
Official data published yesterday by the Office of National Statistics revealed net migration of 606,000 for the previous year, nearly three times the average of between 200,000 and 250,000 prior to Brexit.
When told that prior to the EU referendum he had suggested that net migration could be reduced to 50,000, Mr. Farage responded, “Of course. Certainly we can. We could have reduced the number to 50,000. Without a doubt, we would have reached 50,000 per year if they had placed me in command, but they did not.
“The issue we currently face is… I stated ten years ago that I desired to shake up British politics. Well, we received the earthquake, and we’re still experiencing its aftershocks, and we’re still experiencing its aftershocks… because Parliament and the Government disregarded the will of the people.
“They have disregarded the results of the Brexit referendum, which raises the question of how we will alter the political landscape in this country.”
Yesterday, Rishi Sunak stated that the numbers were “just too high” and that he remained committed to reducing them. He rejected the notion that net migration was out of control.
