The UK technology secretary, Peter Kyle, has sparked outrage after comparing Nigel Farage to Jimmy Savile during a heated exchange over online safety. Kyle accused the Reform UK leader of siding with child abusers by pledging to repeal the Online Safety Act.
Speaking on Sky News, Kyle said Farage was on the side of "extreme pornographers" and those who commit crimes against children. "If people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side," Kyle said.
Farage immediately called for an apology, describing the comments as "disgusting". In a livestream, he said: "Just how low can the Labour government sink in their desperation? 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."
Reform UK had announced it would repeal the Online Safety Act, which came into force last week, claiming the measures would create a "borderline dystopian state". Farage and Zia Yusuf, his government efficiency chief, said they would seek alternative ways to protect children but admitted they did not yet know how.
Kyle doubled down on his remarks, stating that the Act forces tech firms to detect and remove child sexual abuse material, prevent grooming, and keep children's profiles hidden. "Nigel Farage is on the side of turning the clock back to the time when strange adults can get in touch via messaging apps with children," he added.
Yusuf called the comparison "the most disgusting thing I've heard a politician say about another politician in my lifetime". Farage has demanded an apology from Kyle, but the technology secretary has refused to back down.
