Enoch Powell Admiration (Far-Right Adjacent)
Repeated praise for Enoch Powell, whose "Rivers of Blood" speech became a touchstone for far-right movements with antisemitic connections.
The Allegation
Farage repeatedly expressed admiration for Enoch Powell, praising his views on national sovereignty and opposition to immigration/EU integration, describing Powell as a political hero and defending the "basic principle" of his ideas (e.g., seeking endorsement in the 1990s; 2014 interviews). He insists this reflects patriotism, not racism. Powell's 1968 "Rivers of Blood" speech warned of cultural conflict from immigration and became a touchstone for far-right groups.
Why This Is Antisemitic
Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech, while targeting non-white immigration, fuelled far-right British fascism, inspiring groups like the National Front (NF), which blended anti-immigrant rhetoric with overt antisemitism in the 1970s. Post-WWII, UK extremism shifted from direct Jew-hatred to broader "replacement" fears, but NF leaders promoted Holocaust denial and Jewish conspiracy myths. Admiration for Powell signals adjacency to these ideologies, as his speech mobilised racist violence that intersected with antisemitic waves. This normalises scapegoating that can extend to Jews as "international" threats.