By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2024-11-21 11:50:42 | Updated at 2024-11-24 00:11:15
2 days ago
GB News host Steven Dixon fumed it's "ridiculous" that Nigel Farage was excluded from giving a speech at the farmers protest earlier this week.
Thousands gathered outside Downing Street on Tuesday to protest Labour's inheritance tax changes.
While representatives of all major parties were initially invited to speak, organisers left the Reform UK leader off the list.
The protest featured speeches from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson.
"He was obviously a not invited to speak. He was there at the protest alongside Jeremy Clarkson and other political leaders.
"It is unfortunate because he would have spoken the truth, which is what the farmers wanted to hear."
According to organisers, Farage was omitted from the speaker line-up amid concerns his presence would overshadow the event's core message.
Sources close to the protest said they did not want it to become "the Nigel Farage show".
Nigel Farage is an active voice in rural communities
GB NEWS
The protest coordinators wanted to keep the event "as unpolitical as possible" to give Labour an opportunity to reconsider their stance on inheritance tax changes.
"The event is non-political," said farmer and organiser Olly Harrison.
"We don't want our event used for political point scoring."
There were also concerns that Farage's presence might discourage Labour from engaging with farmers' concerns.
A source close to Farage claimed Conservative Party "bullying" was behind his exclusion from the platform.
The source noted that despite Reform UK winning more votes than the Liberal Democrats and Farage's "long record of support for rural communities", he was prevented from speaking.
Instead of addressing the crowd, Farage opted to stream the protest to his 2.1 million followers on X.
