British celebrity chef Marco Pierre White has thrown his weight behind Nigel Farage’s Reform party ahead of the local council elections at the beginning of May.
Despite describing himself as a “true socialist”, the three-time Michelin Star winner and the man who trained Gordon Ramsay has come out swinging against the leftist Labour Party government of Sir Keir Starmer while endorsing Farage’s populist Reform party.
Speaking to ITV after endorsing Brexit backer and Reform candidate for the Bristol mayoralty, Arron Banks, Pierre White said of Mr Farage: “I met him the other day. I thought he was a very impressive individual, really impressive.”
“[Farage] has done his apprenticeship, hasn’t he? He has served his time in the field. I can see why the polls are showing what they’re showing.”
Conversely, the restaurateur, who said he has become “disillusioned with the traditional parties”, was heavily critical of the Labour government for accepting thousands in “freebies” from top donors such as Lord Ali.
The Chopping Block star also argued that its policies, such as increased National Insurance Contributions for employers, have made it harder for small businesses to operate in Britain, such as in the hospitality sector.
“My world is the restaurant world, the hotel world, hospitality,” he said. “It’s tough. Restaurants are going bust every week, hotels are struggling. If you look at the pubs, they’re closing down.”
“Employment laws are changing, minimum wage has gone up, NI has gone up, utilities, food costs. Don’t be surprised. If you look at the Labour government of old, Gordon Brown lowered the VAT to assist. If you look at what Boris did, he helped. This government doesn’t seem to help.”
Pierre White also suggested that the stagnating economy under the left-wing government was hindering the ability for young people to succeed.
“I was always taught to work hard, always taught to better myself. And I think we should create a world which creates aspiration, where people can better themselves.
“That’s the world I came from. I don’t think at this moment in time they’re [Labour] encouraging and creating opportunities for the young. That’s maybe where I have a little bit of a problem.”
The endorsement from the famous chef comes just a little over two weeks before voters will head to the polls in the first major test for the Starmer government since it came to power last July. It will also serve as a critical barometer for the Reform party which has surged to the top of the polls in recent months as faith in the two establishment parties has begun to fade.
Key to Farage’s strategy at the helm of an insurgent third party has been to secure defections from both the Conservatives and Labour, particularly the “Red Wall” areas of the country that have traditionally supported Labour, but who largely backed the Brexit referendum over issues such as immigration.
On top of immigration, Mr Farage has also put issues such as defending farmers against tax raids from the leftist government and calling for the nationalisation of British Steel, at the heart of his attempt to create a working-class coalition to take on Westminster.
The strategy appears to be bearing fruit, with a mega poll released over the weekend finding that Reform would currently win the next general election, increasing the number of seats in the parliament by 175. The More in Common seat-by-seat analysis found that 153 of such pickups would come at the cost of the Labour Party.
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