‘Nigel Farage doesn’t speak for Oldham and what he is trying to do won’t work’

Local MPs have responded to a comment by Nigel Farage, which claimed there were ‘streets in Oldham where no one speaks English.

Labour MP Jim McMahon suggested the Reform UK leader was trying to ‘stoke division’ but that he ‘wouldn’t succeed’. 

Farage, who announced he would be running as a candidate for Clacton yesterday, took aim at the town on the BBC Radio 4 Today show.

He told presenter Mishal Husain that there were places in the UK that had ‘become literally unrecognisable’ as a result of ‘immigrants who don’t speak English’ or ‘integrate into the community’. 

In response Mr McMahon, Labour Candidate for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, has said: “Oldham is a wonderful community with some of the best people you’ll find anywhere, and I have been proud to represent it for 20-plus years, including as an MP and as Council Leader. 

“The vast majority of Oldhamers are decent, hard-working people who want to live in peace, accept and understand one another, and create a better life for all who call Oldham home.

“We are not blind to the challenges but what we don’t accept is people trying to divide our town, pit communities against each other and stoke divisions – the worst type of politics which the people of Oldham are better than.

"Mr Farage does not speak for Oldham and what he is trying to do will not work.”

MP Debbie Abrahams (pictured above), who represents Oldham East and Saddleworth, added: “Oldham East and Saddleworth is a wonderful diverse community where we celebrate our diversity.

“Eighty-nine per-cent of the population speak English in line with England’s national average.

“Those individuals intent on criticising communities like Oldham should instead focus on the failure of the Conservative government to invest and ‘level up’ the North with the rest of the country and not on Oldham’s people.”

There has been a growing backlash from across the borough.

Local council leader Arooj Shah has also called the statement “as stupid and inaccurate as it is offensive”. 

Online, residents have rallied to condemn the comments, though others have jumped to the politician and GB News presenter’s defence. 

One commenter said: “Nigel Farage speaks rubbish – I bet I can find whole streets of people who speak rubbish too – and that seems far more dangerous than having multilingual neighbours.”

Another wondered: “Speaking as an Oldham-based introvert, can someone tell me where these streets are where no-one speaks English and therefore will leave me alone and not talk to me?”

But others felt the comments reflected what they saw in the town.

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