Nigel Farage defends allowing labelled chlorinated chicken from the US into the UK as part of a trade deal, citing British consumers’ acceptance of poor welfare standards in imported products.
Nigel Farage Defends Allowing US Chlorinated Chicken into UK as Part of Trade Deal
The Reform UK party is hoping to take hundreds of seats off the established parties at the local elections, with a three-way split in the polls between Farage’s party, Labour and the Tories. According to a recent poll, Reform could win more seats than the other parties at a general election even if it has a slightly lower vote share.
Nigel Farage is a British politician and former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Born on April 3, 1964, in Downe, Kent, he rose to prominence for his advocacy of Brexit.
Farage served as an MEP from 1999 to 2020 and led UKIP from 2006 to 2016.
He was a key figure in the Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum.
Farage has been known for his outspoken views on immigration and European integration.
The US Demand: Lower Welfare Standards
The government and the Conservatives have objected to US demands for its producers to be able to sell chicken with lower welfare standards in the UK. Britain does not allow imports of products such as chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-injected beef. Donald Trump has been pushing for agriculture to be part of a trade deal if the UK wants tariffs to be lowered on its exports, including cars and steel.
Nigel Farage defended allowing labelled chlorinated chicken from the US into the UK as part of a trade deal. He argued that British consumers already ate chicken from places such as Thailand, reared in poor conditions, and accepted chlorine-washed lettuce. ‘If you have a look at the chicken we are currently importing from Thailand, you look at the conditions they’ve been reared in, and that every single bag of pre-made salad in every single supermarket has been chlorinated,’ he said.
Chlorinated chicken refers to poultry that has been treated with chlorine washes to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
This practice is common in the United States and some other countries, but it's banned in many parts of Europe due to concerns over food safety and environmental impact.
Chlorine treatment can kill bacteria on the surface of the meat, but it may not penetrate deeper tissues, potentially leading to a false sense of security for consumers.
Farage added that once the basics have been accepted, he would be willing to debate. He also stated that he wants to promote British farming as a high-end product, citing the growth of farmers’ markets as evidence. ‘I think the growth of farmers’ markets, they are a much more discerning audience that wants to know where their meat comes from,’ he said. ‘I don’t think British farmers have anything to fear from this long term.‘
The Rift with Trump’s Adviser
Farage also spoke about his rift with Trump’s adviser, the US billionaire Elon Musk, who had been pushing for him to take a harder line on immigration and support the far-right figure Tommy Robinson. Farage said he had been in contact with Musk since their spat on X but added that ‘I’ve fought against this for 25 years. You can’t bully me, I know what I think is right and what I think is wrong. Nobody pushes me around – not even him.‘
The Polling Results
A recent poll by More in Common found that Reform could win more seats than the other parties at a general election even if it has a slightly lower vote share. The polling suggests the main parties could be on course for difficult local elections on 1 May, although they are hard to forecast due to low turnout.
The poll indicated Labour was being squeezed from both sides, with progressive voters looking to the Lib Dems, Greens and independents causing seats to be lost to the right. It also suggested that if a general election were held now, Labour could lose 246 seats, including 10 cabinet ministers, with losses to Reform in the ‘red wall‘ and Welsh valleys, and to the SNP in Scotland.
The Impact of Trade Deals
The US demand for lower welfare standards in agriculture is part of a broader push for trade deals that benefit American interests. The impact of these deals on British consumers and farmers remains to be seen. As Farage defends allowing chlorinated chicken into the UK, it remains to be seen whether his party’s policies will align with those of the established parties or if they will prove to be a game-changer in the world of politics.
