Street Cleaner challenges Farage over streets where ‘nobody speaks English’ comments

According to census statistics, around 90 percent of Oldhamers speak English, which is similar to the 91 pc average nationally

A street cleaner from Oldham challenged Nigel Farage after he made comments last week about streets in Oldham ‘where no one speaks English’. 

The local, named Mike, called in on Nick Ferrari’s LBC show this morning and accused the Reform UK leader of lying.

It comes after strong reaction from the Oldham community, with local councillors rushing to defend the town from the “stupid and inaccurate” comments made on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on June 4. 

Mike said: “I think you’re talking a pack of lies, Nigel.

"You made a statement, you [could] name a street that can’t speak English. 

“The last ten years of my working life, I’ve worked for Oldham street cleaning.

"And the biggest Asian area is Glodwick. 

“Now, I don’t know a street in Glodwick where the whole population couldn’t speak English.

"Many people couldn’t, but not the whole street.” 

Farage, who was taking calls from the public on Nick Ferarri’s call-in show, claimed he was “very clear” people in the healthcare industry had told him that “the numbers not even bothering to learn English were alarming”. 

Ferrari hit back at the politician and broadcaster and said: “But this gentleman works in Oldham, surely he knows better than you.” 

Residents, councillors and local MPs have all hit back at the comments.

Many noted that while there was a large multilingual community in Oldham, there are no streets where none of the residents could speak any English. 

According to census statistics, around 90 percent of Oldhamers speak English, which is similar to the 91 pc average nationally.

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