The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has accused Nigel Farage of helping whip up antagonism against foreigners.
The Daily Telegraph organised a debate ahead of Thursday’s European Parliament elections, Sir Vince told Farage, “You have played a role in whipping up this antagonism to foreigners.
“In the referendum you told us that next year, 2020, Turks are going to be free to come to come to this country. A lot of people were alarmed by something that is patently untrue.
“You put out that advertisement, the hoarding, showing immigrants who had dark faces. I welcome people with dark faces. I was married to one.
“But people coming in from Europe are Europeans. It was giving a totally false picture of what immigration actually amounts to.”
Farage responded, “I’ve taken terrible stick on this. When Romania joined the European Union with full access, I said this is a huge mistake.
“It was a country that had not made the full transformation to Western democracy and I believed that quarter of a million would come from Romania.
“And I was screamed and shouted at – ‘how dare I scaremonger’ – the last figure I saw was 411,000.
“All I have ever argued with immigration is that we should have a free, fair system that stops discriminating against India and against Australia in favour of Romania, or anywhere else.
“I utterly reject the idea that I am trying to stir anything up.
“Far from being racist, actually, we really are more internationalist than those who want our whole future decided by the EU.”
He then attacked the “militant Remainer-type” who he claims are “morally superior” to the people that voted to leave.
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