Farage attack on PM 'deliberately divisive'

SENIOR Tories yesterday demanded that Nigel Farage apologise after he accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of not understanding "our culture".

- Sam Lister and Michael Knowles

The Reform UK leader was accused of using "dog whistle" tactics over the PM's ethnicity.

Tories claimed the comments were "deliberately divisive" and an attempt to stoke up more anger about Mr Sunak's decision to leave D-Day commemorations early.

Southampton-born Mr Sunak's mother came from what is now Tanzania, while his father was born in Kenya after his grandfather Ramdas Sunak moved there from what was then British-ruled India.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who served in the Scots Guards, told the Daily Express: "To accuse the Prime Minister, who is a British citizen, of not understanding our culture is first of all stupid because of course he understands our culture, he is part of our culture.

"The point [Mr Farage] is attacking him on...is just trying to find another way to attack him about D-Day.

"He showed all the traits of British culture by respecting all of those soldiers who fought there.

Bizarre

"I say that as an ex-soldier myself. The idea that Nigel Farage, who didn't serve in the British Army, is trying to make is essentially a deliberately divisive remark about Rishi Sunak on that basis that somehow because his family were originally from India that he doesn't share our culture. What a bizarre and peculiar thing to have said. I reject those comments."

The Prime Minister apologised on Friday after he left Normandy before a ceremony for international leaders.