UKIP leader Nigel Farage has revealed that he would scrap anti-discrimination legislation if he was to come into power because apparently his party is ‘colour blind’.
During an interview with the former head of the Equalities and Race Commission Trevor Phillips, Farage was asked “whether there would be a law against discrimination on the grounds of race or colour” to which he replied “no”.
‘We’re a colour blind party,’ Farage boldly proclaimed. “If we were sitting here having this conversation 40 years ago,” he added, “your point may be valid. I don’t think it’s valid today”.
Downing Street has criticised Farage’s comments describing them as concerning.
“Nigel Farage is wrong and desperate for attention,” a spokesperson told the BBC. “The laws are there to protect people from racial discrimination.”
Meanwhile, Farage has claimed that the documentary has misconstrued what he said.
“My comments have been wilfully misinterpreted. I have made no comments about the Race Relations Act at all,” he stated.
“I have made comments in favour of British people getting jobs over and above those from southern Eastern Europe.”
Channel 4 have denied these allegations, arguing that Farage was asked a direct question about whether the race legislation would stay in place if he was in power to which he clearly replied no.
The Race Relations Act first appeared in the UK in 1965 and banned people from racially discriminating against people in public places.
In 2010, the Coalition passed The Equality Act which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against employees because of race, colour, nationality, ethnicity or national origin.
