Farage urges minister to apologise over claim he is ‘on the side of Jimmy Savile’

Nigel Farage has demanded an apology from tech minister Peter Kyle after he said Reform UK was “on the side” of predators like Jimmy Savile following a row over the Online Safety Act.

Kyle accused the Reform UK leader of being on the side of “extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence", after the party pledged to repeal the legislation. Reform claimed the “dystopian” act failed to protect children and is “ the greatest assault on freedom of speech in our lifetimes”.

Speaking to Sky News, Kyle said: “Make no mistake if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today he would be perpetrating his crimes online - and Nigel Farage is on their side.”

He added: “Nigel Farage is on the side of turning the clock back to the time when strange adults, strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children.”

Farage has condemned the comments, describing them as “absolutely disgusting” and “so below the belt”.

“Well, this is so absolutely disgusting that it's almost beyond belief,” he said. “Just how low can the Labour government sink in its desperation.

“Yes, of course they're in trouble. They're well behind us in the opinion polls. But frankly to say that I would do anything that would in any way aid and abet people like Jimmy Savile, it's so below the belt it's almost not true.”

Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf also criticised the minister, saying it was “one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said”.

Reacting to Farage’s comment, Kyle tweeted:  “If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.”

The Labour Party also posted on X: “Nigel Farage wants to scrap vital protections for young people online. Reform offers anger but no answers.”

The clash comes less than a week after the online safety rules came into effect, forcing tech firms to have effective age checks and appropriate systems in place to protect children from accessing harmful content.

Those that fail to comply with the act are at risk of facing fines of up to £18m or 10 per cent of their global revenue - whichever is greater.