September 28, 2019

Nigel Farage's Comment That 'We'll Take The Knife' To Civil Servants Was Not A Criminal Offence, Say Police

Nigel Farage’s comment that “we’ll take the knife” to “overpaid pen pushers in Whitehall” after Brexit does not constitute a criminal offence, police have said.
Nigel Farages Comment That Well Take The Knife To Civil Servants Was Not A Criminal Offence, Say Police

Gwent Police said the force had received a number of complaints after a video of the Brexit Party leader giving a speech at a rally in Newport began to circulate on social media.

In the clip, Farage can be heard telling supporters that bosses at the ports of Dover and Calais are “100% ready for Brexit in whatever form it comes”.
“I suggest we listen to them and not the overpaid pen pushers in Whitehall who are not doing a neutral job,” he said. “And once Brexit’s done, we’ll take the knife to them.”When Brexit’s done we’ll take the knife to them. I’ve had enough of all of it’pic.twitter.com/SRRAUpzjtd— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) September 28, 2019It comes amid an ongoing row in the Commons about MPs’ choice of words after Boris Johnson dismissed the dangers of inflammatory language as “humbug”.
Alliance Party MEP Naomi Long said Farage’s comments amounted to “a clear incitement to violence” against civil service staff.
But on Saturday evening, Gwent Police said it would not be taking any further action over the speech.
Assistant chief constable Rhiannon Kirk said the force had received a number of “comments and concerns” after a clip from a speech Farage made at The Neon in Newport on September 21 was shared on social media.
“We are aware of the heightened tensions that exist regarding use of language, and take all allegations and concerns from members of the public very seriously,” she said.
“However, following a thorough assessment, it is our view that the comments in the video, do not constitute a criminal offence. As such, Gwent Police will not be taking any further action.”I should have said ‘take the axe’, which is a more traditional term for cuts. https://t.co/3SCyut3tlx— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 28, 2019In a tweet, Farage – who is an MEP for south east England – said: “I should have said ‘take the axe’, which is a more traditional term for cuts.”
The party leader has yet to respond to HuffPost UK’s requests for further comment. Related... Police Investigating After Nigel Farage Tells Crowd 'We'll Take A Knife' To Whitehall 'Pen-Pushers'

Headlines

World rings in 2023

Country by country, the world welcomed 2023 early Sunday morning — and bid goodbye to a year marked by war, economic uncertainties, and COVID variants. Many cities were celebrating New Year's in full force for the first time since the pandemic, with more than 100,000 gathering on the Embankment of the Thames in London for a firework show that paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, while an estimated million people braved the rain for the New Year's Eve party in New York's Times Square. Roni Bintang/Getty Images Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Alexi Rosenfeld/ Getty Images Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images "I just wish everyone a lot of prosperity, peace, and love," Tina Wright, a reveler visiting New York City from the Phoenix area, told the Los Angeles Times.