"What a coward!" Heidi Allen reacts to Nigel Farage refusing debate

Change UK leader Heidi Allen, seen here in a party election broadcast, said she wanted to back tactical voting for the Liberal Democrats. Picture: Change UK - Credit: Change UK

Change UK leader Heidi Allen labelled Nigel Farage a ‘coward’ for turning down her challenge for a live TV debate ahead of the European elections.

Breathtaking arrogance from Farage - if he seriously believes that the British people aren't entitled to hear his vision for the country compared with others, then he doesn't deserve to represent them. https://t.co/57BOgVxbvD
— Heidi Allen MP (@heidiallen75) May 14, 2019

She had issued the challenge during a party election broadcast for Change UK, saying: “I think we’re overdue a debate, because there’s so much at stake.”

But according to BBC Politics Live, Farage has turned her down.

“He said no?!” said Allen when an interviewer told her. “What a coward.

“Has he spoken to my husband? Has he realised how difficult I can be? That’s clearly what’s happened,” she joked.

Just a woman with a degree in astrophysics Nigel, interested in evidence, cares about people... not your type at all. Wouldn't risk it, you'd come out looking like a fraud https://t.co/OBD1e8Wtzg
— Sarah Wollaston MP (@sarahwollaston) May 13, 2019

In fact, said the BBC interviewer, Farage had said: “who is she?”

Allen said that’s exactly why he should come and debate her, to find out.

“That’s very disappointing, in all seriousness,” she added.

“If he has said no that displays to me a level of arrogance that says he thinks his view is the only one that matters, and that the British people are only entitled to listen to his view.”

Change UK MP Sarah Wollaston responded sarcastically to Farage’s “Who is she?” barb in a tweet saying: “Just a woman with a degree in astrophysics Nigel, interested in evidence, cares about people … not your type at all. Wouldn’t risk it, you’d come out looking like a fraud.”

Allen was recently disappointed by the BBC’s decision not to air an episode of Have I Got News For You in which she appears, citing election impartiality rules.

BBC pulls Heidi Allen episode of Have I Got News For You – a day after Nigel Farage appears on Question TimeThe Brexit Party leader had appeared the previous day before on Question Time, which the BBC said does not break impartiality rules as it is a current affairs programme which hosts representatives of several political views.