Nigel Farage called 'traitor' after tweeting support for EU

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage eats fish and chips in Whitehaven. - Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

Nigel Farage has been called a “traitor” after issuing a tweeting defending the EU’s threat to sue Downing Street over breaking the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

The Brexit Party leader caused controversy on Thursday when he appeared to suggest the EU was in its rights to take Britain to court after it approved laws explicitly overriding the Withdrawal Agreement.

The government his attempting to push through legislation giving ministers unilateral powers to override key aspects of the UK’s Brexit agreement with Brussels concerning the Northern Ireland Protocol.

On Thursday, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, said the bloc had sent the UK formal notice of infringement proceedings after the government failed to remove the controversial clauses by the end-of-September deadline imposed by the EU.

Responding to a post by the BBC’s Katya Adler about the news, Farage tweeted: “The ‘oven ready deal’ was an international treaty — for the EU Commission, that is like the Bible.

“Whilst the EU always acts in bad faith, all they are doing today is asking Boris to keep his promises. It should never have been signed in the first place.”

The “oven ready deal” was an international treaty — for the EU Commission, that is like the Bible.

Whilst the EU always acts in bad faith, all they are doing today is asking Boris to keep his promises.

It should never have been signed in the first place. https://t.co/PybqaSXUwk

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) October 1, 2020

Comedian James Felton called Farage a “traitor”. He tweeted: “Wait I’m confused, I thought siding with the EU made you a traitor.”

Wait I’m confused, I thought siding with the EU made you a traitor

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) October 1, 2020

Campaigner Femi wrote: “Hey, Nigel, Remember when you ended up backing Boris Johnson’s deal, even though you knew people would rather remain in the EU, proving that this was never about democracy, and that all you’ve done is engineer this chaos…. Maybe you should be quiet now?”

LBC radio host James O’Brien wrote: “This ludicrous, preening popinjay literally withdrew Brexit ‘Party’ candidates from Tory-winnable constituencies in order to get *exactly* this treaty signed in the first place. It’s not George Orwell writing the script any more. It’s Lewis bloody Carroll.”

This ludicrous, preening popinjay literally withdrew Brexit 'Party' candidates from Tory-winnable constituencies in order to get *exactly* this treaty signed in the first place. It's not George Orwell writing the script any more. It's Lewis bloody Carroll. https://t.co/CIn7zoJllJ

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) October 1, 2020

Law and policy commentator David Allen Green said: “Forget Theresa May and Michael Howard – Johnson’s conduct is now making even Nigel Farage seem sensible and reasonable.”

“If only some bloke hadn’t deliberately stood down 300+ candidates so that the Tories could win on a pledge of honouring that deal. I mean that does make them an accomplice to signing it, doesn’t it Nige,” wrote one user.

Others lapped up the irony of the situation.

Michael Gillett wrote: “Farage is siding with the EU. This means I agree with something Farage has said. I feel like I need a shower now.”