Ant Middleton: 'Farage is a true English gentleman - whether you like it or not he's got it right!'
Ant Middleton has thrown his back behind Nigel Farage at this year's General Election
PA/WALKING WITH THE WOUNDED
Ant Middleton has thrown his support behind Nigel Farage and his return to frontline politics during an exclusive chat with GB News.
The newly-appointed Reform UK leader will stand for election in the constituency of Clacton and launched his campaign last week to hundreds of adoring fans - and a milkshake-throwing protestor, of course.
A new poll by Techne UK (via the Independent) has already determined Farage's introduction to the 2024 General Election campaign has shaken things up and represents a major blow to the Tories.
Since his announcement, Reform UK has climbed from 12 points to 15 while both Labour and Conservatives dropped a point each, dipping from 44 to 20 percent respectively.
Farage's supporters rejoiced when he announced his candidacy as he promised to usher in a new era for British politics - a prospect Middleton is all for.
Speaking to GB News live from Normandy as he marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Middleton said "there's only one thing that should happen" in the July 4 General Election if Britain wants a brighter future ahead.
He said: "Who made the decision for us to break away from the European Union? Nigel Farage, right. And he's coming again. That guy is a true English gentleman who relates with the public.
Nigel Farage also attended the D-Day anniversary celebration in Normandy
PA
"Unfortunately he's had his voice silenced [before] but that guy changed the European Union with Brexit. He came in and he went out but he's coming back in now, so listen to him.
"Hopefully he'll stay this time if things do work in his favour, he won't bail out and he'll stay. But I believe that's the only way we have moving forward."
Middleton has met Farage before and the pair share a "very close" friendship, although they may not always see eye to eye.
"I've met Nigel Farage a few times. A very close friend of mine, actually. And I support him in many ways. I disagree with some of the things that he says and I disagree with how he goes about them," Middleton continued.
"I'm a humanitarian, I love people, I think immigration is a very sensitive subject [but] I think it benefits us hugely when we get it right.
"When we decide to ignore it, we get it wrong massively."
Speaking to GB News live from Normandy on Thursday, Middleton had just taken part in a historic expedition with Armed Forces charity, Walking with the Wounded.
To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Middleton joined a team of veterans and Armed Forces supporters to raise money for the charity and show their respect for the ultimate sacrifice Britain's heroes made during the historic seaborne invasion.
Describing the atmosphere from Normandy as "electrifying", Middleton told GB News why he fears the significance of D-Day could be forgotten and "disrespected" in today's era and why Farage represents what's best for the nation.
"It's the 80th anniversary of D-Day! 80th anniversary. And I'm thinking it's just been forgotten about," Middleton began. "When I look at history, the UK and Britain, you talk about culture...
"Culture is built on the history of the country, it's built on the history of what's happened and the hardships that we go through. And the history of Britain is it's a Christian country, we've all come together to fight for a better cause and we've sacrificed a lot to get to where we need to be and for the freedom of the country.
"So I just think it's a gift being forgotten about in a way that is (almost) disrespectful. So for me to be here on the 80th anniversary is a privilege. It's an honour, and if I can expose the D-Day landings in history in a positive way of why we have our freedom today, then that's why I'm here.
"When it comes to the history of D-Day, people are too entitled nowadays. Look in the UK, the UK has zero leadership.
"And when you have no leadership, you have no decision-making. And when you have no decision-making, you have confusion, and that's what the UK is in at the moment, it's massively confused.
"When I look at the UK and I look at the leadership, zero leadership, it saddens me and I thought I've got the 80th anniversary to make a difference.
"The 100th anniversary will probably be forgotten, it saddens me to say that but it will probably be forgotten."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Nigel Farage has been branded a 'true English gentleman' by Middleton
PA
Middleton - who was axed by Channel 4 after criticising the BLM and EDL protests engulfing the capital a few years ago - has since relocated to Dubai after feeling disenfranchised by the current state of affairs.
But his patriotism is evident throughout the discussion. "I know the narrative of the UK and it's not that I've not been present in the UK, I've pulled away from a lot of things in the UK because I can't trust what my voice [is reported to have] said [in the media], I can't trust the papers, I can't trust the media.
"But I always feel the pull back to the UK because I feel a sense of responsibility. I feel a sense of acknowledgment that I need to let you know that I've not abandoned you. I've not left the UK, I'm still very much here and I'm still very much present.
"But with the way the narrative's going on at the moment with all the woke stuff and the box-ticking - I don't play to that tune.
"That's not my narrative and I'll not bow down to it like a lot of celebrities do. And this election, I've been following it, I'm there. I know what's going on.
Ant Middleton used to be a familiar face on Channel 4's SAS: Who Dares Wins
CHANNEL 4
"And all I can say is when you get disruption like Nigel Farage, whether you like it or not, he's got it right.
"I am the most patriotic man in the world and I'm a humanitarian. I love people. I love how people think, I love how people act, I'm caring and compassionate, it's just that (the establishment) don't seem to like people like myself."
Farage will be going up against Giles Watling (Conservative), Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Labour), Matthew Bensilum (Liberal Democrat) and Natasha Osben (Green) in Clacton next month.
While he may have Middleton's backing, Reform faces an uphill battle to bag General Election glory as Labour is on course for the biggest election victory in history, usurping Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.
A YouGov poll, carried out by Sky News earlier this week, suggests that Sir Keir Starmer's party is on course to win 422 seats, with the Tories down to just 140.