NIGEL Farage visited Shoreham today as he tried to drum up support for his new Brexit Party ahead of next month’s European elections.
The former Ukip leader said the town was “symbolic” of his anti-European Union message as he met supporters in the street ahead of a rally at Shoreham Airport last night.
Mr Farage drank the first pint of his campaign in The Marlipins, a 17th century pub in the High Street.
He later posed for the cameras in East Street Barber’s.
Residents were divided as the politician gave a speech outside St Mary de Haura Church in the town centre. There were both boos and cheers.
Mr Farage described Shoreham as a metaphor for Brexit. He said: “The imagery here of an active trading port, an import and export port, is the Brexit message.
“People say Brexit is going to be bad for business but for these people Brexit could be great for it.”
When The Argus asked Mr Farage why Brighton was not on his campaign trail he said Shoreham was more symbolic of his message.
He said: “If you look at the war memorial in Shoreham there are generations that used to fight for a free, independent, self-governing democratic country.
“What we are living through now is the greatest democratic exercise and those in power at the moment are just not good enough. We have become a laughing stock.
“If the Conservatives and Labour don’t radically change their ways then we will replace them.”
Ken Bishop, a former Ukip member of Adur District Council who quit the party in 2017 to stand as an independent, joined the gathering in the Marlipins.
He said: “I think he is just fantastic, I had to come and say hello. I used to be a member and I was a local councillor here for Ukip.
“I support the Brexit Party because people want out of Europe, that was the decision that was made.
“People are p****d off with the way this country’s run.”
Another Brexit supporter, who asked not to be named, said: “The biggest problem is those Remainers.
“They have stolen away our votes.
“Nigel Farage is a fantastic figure for this country. We need to have someone who has a bit of gumption and isn’t afraid of saying what he thinks and what he wants to say.
“I am a huge Farage fan and this country needs him.”
But many residents were furious and shouted “get out of Shoreham”, “fascist” and “you’re not welcome here”.
Wayne Green, from Shoreham, shouted over Mr Farage’s speech to the press.
He said: “He’s a very dangerous man and he’s not welcome.
“These sorts of people shouldn’t be down here and they just think they can win over the older generation.”
Mr Green said he feared Mr Farage would manipulate Shoreham residents.
He said: “He just speaks a load of b******t, it’s all about this grand, national identity for him.
“It’s very tense when people talk about it in cafes here and him being here is making it worse.”
Emily Mitchell from Shoreham said Mr Farage’s messages were “out of date”.
She said: “He strikes me as an incredibly ignorant person.
“He’s hardly suggesting ideas that will benefit creating a more inclusive society. It’s all extremely out of date.”
Kev Beeley, walking past the pub, said he was horrified to see Mr Farage in the street.
He said: “That man is just poisonous. There’s nothing else to say about him.
“It’s just depressing the way he is trying to conquer people. He claims he’s a man of the people? He’s poisonous.”
Last night Mr Farage attended a rally at Shoreham Airport.
Addressing a full house of Brexiteers at his campaign launch in an aircraft hangar, he said the UK’s democracy was under threat.
“What we are now fighting for is much, much bigger than Brexit.
“What we are now fighting for is for the survival of the very principle of democracy in this country.
“Can you imagine if an African country held an election and the result of the election was annulled?
“That mob outside would be up in arms, the West would be up in arms, we would be demanding that the United Nations were sent in.
“And yet that is what is happening in one of the oldest functioning democracies in the world.”
Protesters held a demonstration outside the rally.
Jo Delafons, from Shoreham, said: “We are making it very clear that we don’t want him here and he can’t persuade us otherwise.
“I am so disappointed that he has picked Shoreham of all places to launch his campaign. It’s not that far from Brighton which is just polar opposite to what he wants.”
Her friend, Jen Lindsey-Clark, 39, also from Shoreham, said: “We have our cardboard out and we are ready.
“We will let him know that he is absolutely not welcome here and all he stands for his wrong.
“The fact that he thinks Shoreham is ‘symbolic of Brexit’ just goes to show that he hasn’t got a clue.
“We definitely don’t want him to come back again.”
Adam Moffatt-Seaman, 45, of Worthing, attended the protest.
He said: “Nigel Farage is one of the biggest criminals of our times in terms of untruths. I am completely in support of remain and Farage is just filling the media with lies.”
He said the energy at the protest was “amazing” and “incredibly powerful”.
Inside the rally, Mr Farage warned Theresa May the pro-Brexit movement would “explode” if she did a deal with Jeremy Corbyn to secure her Withdrawal Agreement.
He said: “We will go on and fight those European elections that will happen on May 23.
"I now believe that it is actually impossible that those elections could be stopped."
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