Nigel Farage has launched a blistering attack on “pipsqueak” Matt Hancock for telling him how to live his life.
The former Brexit Party leader spoke out after it emerged the ex-Health Secretary had shared a What’sApp message asking if it was possible to get him "locked up".
According to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock wanted a probe into images Mr Farage had tweeted of himself during the pandemic showing him in a Kent pub after he’d travelled to attend a US Trump rally.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Farage said: “The headline is, can we lock up pub hooligan Nigel Farage?
"Alright, okay, here we go. I'm going to fess up. When the first lockdown came, I thought all right I will accept the Coronavirus Act. It had gone through the House of Commons giving ministers powers we've not seen since the time of medieval kings.
"I didn't like it. But I obeyed it. Then I saw lockdown after lockdown, and I saw hysteria surrounding the number of times we had to get jabbed.
“Then I saw the media, earning so much money out of advertising, that there was almost no room for debate or criticism.
"And then I saw Matt Hancock standing up there, and saying things like this is an order. You must stay at home.
"Well, I thought as the month went on, to hell with you. This is absolutely ridiculous. You're telling me I can't even go fishing. I can't even go on my own and sit on a beach somewhere and fish - this is crackers. And frankly, I began to just not comply.
“Did I go and visit elderly relatives that I shouldn't have done under the law? Yes, I did. And I bet many of you did too."
Nigel Farage has launched a stinging attack on Matt Hancock
GB News
Addressing the image Mr Hancock reportedly wanted probed he added: “That picture when I had been to America, I was supposed to quarantine I think for 14 days.
"Had I reached the full 14 days? Well, it was a bit nip and tuck. I think I probably hadn't quite done.
“But you know what, whatever I did, whatever I was doing, when I was out there breaking these ludicrous rules, I always made sure I used hand sanitizer. I always kept my distance from people.
Matt Hancock and Chris Whitty during the height of the pandemicPA“And I have to say, you know, bad laws make people law breakers. So, there we are. I've fully confessed.
"If you think the worst would be for it, I'm sorry, but I just don't like tyrannical Government.
"I don't like little pipsqueaks, like Matt Hancock telling me how I should live my life.”