Nigel Farage in blistering row as GB News guest attacks his ‘rhetoric’ in wake of Ballymena riots

The confrontation came after three nights of rioting in Northern Ireland that left 32 police officers injured, sparked by the court appearance of two Romanian teenagers charged with attempted sexual assault.

Nigel rejected the accusations, insisting: "If they had listened to me, this would never have happened."

The debate quickly escalated into a fundamental disagreement about whether cultural differences or economic factors were responsible for the violence that has gripped the Northern Irish town.

The riots began on Monday following the court appearance of two 14-year-old boys who denied charges of attempted sexual assault through a Romanian interpreter.

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Police described the violence as "hate-fuelled acts and mob rule" as rioters used petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks against officers in what authorities called a "sustained attack".

A pregnant woman had to be evacuated from a burning home, according to local politician Sian Mulholland.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson confirmed that four homes were attacked in what police have declared as racially motivated hate crimes.

"When I watch families having their doors kicked in who happen to be from our diverse communities, I have to call that out for the racist behaviour that it is," Henderson stated.

During the GB News debate, Andrieu argued that Nigel's political messaging over two decades had created the conditions for such violence.

"For the previous 20 years, you have basically said too much immigration creates flare ups in communities," Andrieu said, adding that "your rhetoric and the rhetoric of your parties over the past 20 years has contributed to this sort of thing."

Nigel countered by arguing he had advocated for controlled immigration, stating: "I said, 'be careful. Get immigration numbers substantially lower. Don't allow people who come illegally to stay. Make sure those that come are the type of people that will integrate in our communities.'"

The Reform UK leader insisted the issue was fundamentally about culture rather than economics.

"This isn't about economics, this is about culture," Farage declared during the exchange.

When Andrieu challenged him on what he meant, asking "Do you think Romanians are more prone to rape?", Nigel responded by citing language barriers and lifestyle differences.

"If you don't speak the same language, if you have a different way of living. Litter, untidiness. Have you been to Roman settlements?" Nigel said, claiming he had visited "the biggest Roman settlement in Bulgaria and the biggest in Romania" and observed "a different way of life. A cultural divide."

Andrieu firmly rejected this analysis, arguing instead that "economic measures" could address community tensions.

"There are economic measures that could be introduced, Reform are actually adopting some that improve the lives of individuals in communities who feel they have nothing going for them," he said.

The violence spread beyond Ballymena to Belfast, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Larne, where a leisure centre housing fleeing foreign families came under attack.

Fear gripped immigrant communities as residents displayed yellow A4 sheets in windows reading "LOCALS LIVE HERE" and union jack flags to identify themselves as British households.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill condemned the violence as "abhorrent", stating: "No one, now or ever, should feel the need to place a sticker on their door to identify their ethnicity just to avoid being targeted."

Police have requested reinforcements from mainland Britain to cope with the escalating unrest.