Martin Daubney fumes at journalist for ‘cheap jibe’ at Nigel Farage: ‘You are weaponising Armistice Day’
Martin Daubney has accused a journalist of taking a “cheap jibe” at Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader was not allowed to lay a wreath alongside other political leaders in Whitehall yesterday.
In a heated row on GB News, Rebecca Reid said that she found it “childish” of Nigel Farage to blame “the Establishment” for banishing him to the balcony and not allowing him to lay a wreath at this year’s Remembrance Day service.
Reid said: “Margaret Thatcher oversaw the addendum in 1984, which meant that there would be somebody from each of the Four Nations, which feels appropriate.
“I mean, if it’s really going to be that people are too childish to be able to handle this, then let’s just strip it back and have the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition lay their wreath and nobody else.
“This is honestly like badly behaved children fighting over sweeties at a party. I’m disappointed in anybody who is trying to make this into an argument.
“It’s an honour to be on that balcony, it’s an honour to be at the centre off, it’s an honour to take part. It’s not about you.”
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However, Martin hit back, saying: “Rebecca, it’s probably fair to say that Nigel Farage is one of the most pro armed forces, pro veterans politicians in the entire elected chamber now.
“He has strong feelings about it and certainly actually a lot of the general public agree with his point.
“He should have had the opportunity. So my question to you is, is this designed to keep the smaller parties out of the spotlight on such an important day? Should the rules be changed?”
Reid responded: “No, this is the way that it has been for generations. It’s just not about what Nigel Farage or any of those other people want. It’s about respecting the troops who died.
“If you want to go and lay a wreath in Clacton, for instance, I’m sure the people of Clacton will be delighted to see Nigel. They might be a little reminder on who he is, but they’d be pleased to see him.”
These comments left the GB News host fuming, with Martin almost immediately branding the comment “a cheap jibe.”
He said: “That’s unfair, actually he’s done that. He’s done that today. Rebecca Reed, he’s laid a wreath in Clacton today on Armistice Day. That’s been done. So that’s a cheap jibe.
“Now you’re using Armistice Day to have a go at Nigel Farage’s attendance in Clacton. You’re politicising and weaponising Armistice Day.”
The Reform UK leader revealed that his party had been told that it could not lay a wreath as the party only has five MPs in the House of Commons, below the threshold of six MPs needed to qualify for wreath laying.
Farage told GB News that “the Establishment” had blocked him from laying a wreath and said that after the next election when the party hopes to win more seats it will be a different story.
He added: “I personally am not complaining but other people are.”