‘Are you deluded?’ – Nigel Farage challenged on his views about no-deal Brexit

Farage was asking listeners of his LBC Radio whether people believed what the leaked document claimed about the UK crashing out without a deal, which included a hard border in Ireland and the loss of half of trade through Dover.

Farage dismissed the report claiming the government had not produced it at all. He said: “Now, what do I make of all this? I don’t think this is really a government document at all, I think it’s a civil service document, I call it an Olly Robbins special.

“There is no way the civil service have been neutral through this whole process, they are doing their utmost to stop Brexit.

“Of course, the classic way these things are done, is through fear-mongering.”

Caller Claire from Edgware in London was not impressed by the Brexit Party leader’s dismissal.

She said: “If that is what the report is projecting, then you should respect it.”

Nigel responded: “It’s comical! It’s ridiculous.”

But an exasperated Claire pointed out: “You have this habit Nigel of dismissing anything, anything that doesn’t concur with your viewpoint.

“It’s only comical because you don’t agree with it. Why don’t you just try for once to be a bit more equitable in your approach?”

The Brexiteer insisted: “In 20 years of business, I have shipped goods in and out of the European Union and in and out of countries with whom we have no trade agreement whatsoever.”

An angered caller Claire interrupted to shout back: “Are you serious? Are you deluded?”

Nigel, however, continued: “I asked you a question whether you thought it was possible that our outflow and inflow of goods could fall by 50%. It’s impossible.”

As Claire carried on making her case, she told Farage: “Of course it is possible, anything is possible, and we are in a situation that is unprecedented.”

“Nigel when the facts change we change our minds,” she continued before adding: “Why you will not accept that is beyond comprehension”.

“Because I believe in democracy, Claire, that’s the difficulty I’ve got with this”, he snapped back.

Ministers scrambled to claim the findings of the report were “the worst case” scenario rather than “likely, basic, reasonable scenarios” as the document claims.