A BBC News presenter was forced to issue a grovelling apology today after she accused Nigel Farage of using 'customary inflammatory language'.
Geeta Guru-Murthy made the comment after a clip of Mr Farage speaking at a Reform UK event in Dover was shown on BBC News, before later apologising and saying this 'didn't meet the BBC's editorial standards on impartiality'.
Mr Farage, Reform's honorary president, said he was quoting the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk when he said 'aggressive young males' were coming into Poland.
Live on air, Ms Guru-Murthy said: 'Earlier today we heard live from Nigel Farage, speaking at that election event we just saw.
'When we came away from his live speech, I used language to describe it which didn't meet the BBC's editorial standards on impartiality. I'd like to apologise to Mr Farage and viewers for this.'
Geeta Guru-Murthy made the comment after a clip of Mr Farage speaking at a Reform UK event in Dover was shown on BBC News
Mr Farage, Reform's honorary president, said he was quoting the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk when he said 'aggressive young males' were coming into Poland
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Farage tagged Ms Guru-Murthy - the sister of Channel 4 News hostKrishnan Guru-Murthy and asked: 'What happened to impartiality?'
Former Conservative, now Reform MP, Lee Anderson said the licence fee should be scrapped and called for the presenter to be sacked.
In response to this, Mr Anderson said: 'Shocking stuff here from the BBC. Time to scrap the licence and sack the lot of 'em.'
Mr Anderson had the Tory whip removed over his refusal to apologise for claiming 'Islamists' had control of London mayor Sadiq Khan.
Mr Farage has declined to stand as an MP but will be involved in campaigning.
Today's row comes on the back of an independent review of the BBC which found its coverage of migration contained 'risks to impartiality'.
The independent report, ordered by the BBC board, revealed that its journalists were 'anxious' about tackling topics that 'could appear hostile to migrants'.
The report, which focused particularly on news and current affairs, was undertaken by policy specialist Madeleine Sumption, who spoke to more than 100 people inside and outside of the company.
It concluded that while the corporation provides 'a lot of excellent content on migration' there are 'risks to impartiality that point in multiple directions', despite there being 'no consistent bias towards one point of view'.
External experts were interviewed for the review and while some argued that coverage implicitly promoted a pro-government agenda on migration, others argued it had a consistent liberal bias.
Ms Sumption said she did not try to add up these criticisms to identify which way coverage may lean as this 'might miss the point'.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Farage tagged Ms Guru-Murthy - the sister of Channel 4 News host Krishnan Guru-Murthy and asked: 'What happened to impartiality?'
Former Conservative, now Reform MP, Lee Anderson said the licence fee should be scrapped and called for the presenter to be sacked
Mr Tusk, the Polish prime minister, speaking at his office inWarsaw on May 21
Immigration is a major focus for Reform, which launched its campaign today at a yacht club on the Devon seafront.
Speaking to press and supporters, its honorary president Mr Farage said the Tories have 'wrecked it for themselves' and rejected the Conservative argument that a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour.
The former Ukip leader said: 'This election is a foregone conclusion. Labour are going to win and they're going to win quite big.
'And therefore you could argue, actually, that a vote for the Conservative Party is a wasted vote.
'And given that, you know, Labour are going to win, why not vote for something that you actually believe in?'
He said he changed the party's name from Brexit to Reform because the party is not after a 'quick hit' but seeking to 'build a base' and 'launch a serious assault' in the next election of 2028 or 2029.
Mr Farage, who has unsuccessfully stood as a Ukip candidate at five general elections and two by-elections, described illegal immigration to the UK as a 'national security emergency'.
He said: 'I think what we ought to be doing with this situation here is declaring a national security emergency and this is an emergency.
'I talked over the course of the weekend to Trevor Phillips about the small but worryingly growing number of young men, predominantly young men in this country, adopting radical views, views that aren't just un-British, but views that frankly are extremely anti-British.'
After his interview on Sky's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Mr Farage was accused of 'incendiary rhetoric'.
Asked about his comments in Dover, he said: 'I've always been prepared to put my head up and talk about things that other people would rather brushed under the carpet.'
On integration he said he was proud of the UK having the 'best levels' of integration in Europe in the post-war period, but added about net migration: 'The thing is out of control.'
Mr Farage took pictures with supporters with a pint of beer in hand following the campaign speech.
The launch, also announcing Howard Cox as Reform's Dover candidate, comes as Dover MP Natalie Elphicke defected from the Conservatives to Labour and will not be standing at the next election.
Dover and Deal Conservative Association chairman Keith Single has said 'don't write us off' as the process of selecting a new Tory candidate takes place.
Labour has said its existing candidate, Mike Tapp, will stand in Dover.
Ms Elphicke increased the Conservatives' majority to 12,278 in the 2019 election.
