OT. The futures Bright, the Futures Brexit!!!

[Andy_Faber]

Well, I’ve listened to it now and have to agree with Sith. He (Farage) confuses English as a second language with being unable to speak English - quite deliberately imo - and concedes that English is the second language of both his daughters.

I’ve done the respectful thing and listened again and no he doesn’t. This isn’t a matter of supporting him or his opinions, it’s a matter of fact. He doesn’t concede. You’re letting your prejudice speak to you, not the fellah at the mic

[Andy_Faber]

Sounds like time for a rat-a-tat-tat for Christmas

You love it don?t you

[ramAnag]

I?’ve done the respectful thing and listened again and no he doesn?’t. This isn?’t a matter of supporting him or his opinions, it?’s a matter of fact. He doesn?’t concede. You?’re letting your prejudice speak to you, not the fellah at the mic

He absolutely accepts/concedes/confirms that his daughters’ first language is German.
Seems very laudable to me that his daughters are bilingual. I have three grandchildren who are the same. It’s impressive.
Pity he can’t see any positivity in the number of other children who are similarly capable, but what he tries to do is identify children for whom English is a second language as being unable to speak English. That’s not true and if you can’t recognise that it’s perhaps you who are allowing you prejudice to show.

[Andy_Faber]

He absolutely accepts/concedes/confirms that his daughters’ first language is German.
Seems very laudable to me that his daughters are bilingual. I have three grandchildren who are the same. It’s impressive.
Pity he can’t see any positivity in the number of other children who are similarly capable, but what he tries to do is identify children for whom English is a second language as being unable to speak English. That’s not true and if you can’t recognise that it’s perhaps you who are allowing you prejudice to show.

Just dealing in fact rA, please provide the transcript that proves your point, otherwise back off because no-one needs another (to quote GP) ratatat.

To be clear, I said to Sith ‘where was the source you used to assert that NFs children’s first language wasn’t English?’

Sith responded ‘He confirmed it in his interview with James O’Brien’

He didn’t

[ramAnag]

Just dealing in fact rA, please provide the transcript that proves your point, otherwise back off because no-one needs another (to quote GP) ratatat.

To be clear, I said to Sith ?‘where was the source you used to assert that NFs children?’s first language wasn?’t English??’

Sith responded ?‘He confirmed it in his interview with James O?’Brien?’

He didn?’t

Please don’t try and throw your weight around by telling me to ‘back off’ and please don’t quote GP’s silliness. Neither will work or do you any favours. Just listen to the interview, particularly around between 12-14 mins in.

[Trickytreesreds]

Oh for the days when politicians said what they meant and meant what they said (apparently it has happened but septegenarians and younger folk probably can't remember that time).

Farage "if Brexit is a disaster, I will go and live abroad, I'll go and live somewhere else"

Why is he still present?

Disaster compared to what exactly, Germany/ France/ Italy? Are you trying to tell me, we?d be swimming lovely in that pond when the 3 biggest economies there are sinking?

Over the last five years (roughly 2020-2024), economic growth in France, the UK, Italy, and Germany has been marked by the pandemic dip (2020) and recovery, with significant variation, but recent trends show slowing growth, with Germany seeing near stagnation, Italy recovering well in 2021 but slowing, France showing modest growth, and the UK slightly outperforming the Eurozone average by late 2025.
Here's a breakdown by country (approximate figures from sources):
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ermany.svg.png
Germany: Experienced a low GDP growth, even contracting in 2024 (-0.2%), following a dip in 2020 (-4.1%) and modest rebounds in 2021/2022, showing the lowest growth among G7 in the post-pandemic era.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._of_France.svg
France: Saw strong rebound in 2021 (around 7%), but slowed to ~1% in 2023 and ~1.2% in 2024, with overall growth sluggish compared to the US/UK in the 2019-2025 period.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Italy.svg.png
Italy: Hit by a major contraction in 2020 (-8.87%), followed by a huge rebound in 2021 (8.93%), but growth moderated to under 1% by 2023-2024.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ed_Kingdom.svg
United Kingdom: By late 2025, UK GDP was growing, with levels above pre-pandemic, generally performing better than the struggling Eurozone average in recent years, though facing its own challenges.
General Trends (2020-2024):
2020: All countries saw significant contractions due to COVID-19.
2021-2022: Strong rebound fueled by pent-up demand and stimulus.
2023-2024: Growth slowed considerably, with high inflation and interest rates impacting all economies, especially Germany.
Key takeaway: While all four economies are major European players, Germany has struggled the most recently, while the UK showed relative strength by late 2025 compared to the Eurozone, with Italy and France experiencing moderate, uneven growth after their pandemic recoveries.



Lets be honest here, both the Tories , nor Labour have never pushed Brexit in the slightest to use the freedoms we could have. Both are a prime example of a ruling elite, who hate having the electorate reject their ideals, so behave like kids. They stalled the exit for 5 years trying every trick in the book.
The least that should happen, is government that DID WANT IT, AND TO PROVE THE POINT OF ADVANTAGES

[swaledale]

Please don’t try and throw your weight around by telling me to ‘back off’ and please don’t quote GP’s silliness. Neither will work or do you any favours. Just listen to the interview, particularly around between 12-14 mins in.

RA can you direct me to the relevant interview? I can't locate it and would be interested to hear it.


I have noted that increasingly on here, if you dispute a claim, especially one which is supposedly backed up by "the majority" of people as indicated by various polls, Reform's popularity, anecdotal evidence or something the daily fail has published, the push back is to denigrate, ignore or just a huffy silence!

[ramAnag]

RA can you direct me to the relevant interview? I can't locate it and would be interested to hear it.


I have noted that increasingly on here, if you dispute a claim, especially one which is supposedly backed up by "the majority" of people as indicated by various polls, Reform's popularity, anecdotal evidence or something the daily fail has published, the push back is to denigrate, ignore or just a huffy silence!

Tbh I knew nothing about it until Sith raised it and Andy challenged the content, but decided to have a look otherwise I wouldn’t have known what they were arguing about.
I don’t think it’s particularly new and it is, I think, the only ever interview between James O’Brien and Farage, which was originally for LBC. You’ll find it on YouTube via Google and there are two (at least) versions, the full length one and the ‘highlights’ bit.

[SithHappens]

It's a while since I listened to it I'll admit but I'm sure there is a whole segment when they are discussing farages comments about people on trains not speaking being able to speak English, o'brien says how do you know they can't, farage says something like well I got the impression it wasn't their language of choice or 1st language, to which o'brien says like your own children English isn't their 1st language and farage says something like but they can speak English.

Perhaps I'll listen back sometime, I may be wrong, but I recall that it seemed it was an accepted fact, I don't recall farage disputing it.

It was the only ever interview, o'brien has made many attempts since but farage won't go on because, we'll its obvious that o'brien had him tied up in knots and pretty sure farage had to be rescued by one of his staff in the end.

Of course I don't think it would come as a surprise I would enjoy listening to o'brien, the brext compilations are superb entertainment.

That said the interview with Frank Lampard is one he didn't come off well from, Lampard took him to task brilliantly.

[Andy_Faber]

I wouldn?t have known what they were arguing about.

We werent arguing. I asked Sith to listen to the relevant part of the interview again. He may or may not, he may change his mind or he may not, he may let me/us know the outcome of that or he may not, but none of that is arguing. Dont inflame things.