Nigel Farage revisited a past controversy on GB News as he harked back to comments that sparked outrage at the 2015 leadership debate.
In an unearthed clip, the Reform UK leader was seen debating David Cameron and Ed Miliband ahead of the General election.
At the time Farage said: “Okay, here’s a fact. And I’m sure the other people who will be mortified that I dare to talk about it.
“There are 7,000 diagnoses in this country every year for people who are HIV positive, which is not a good place for any of them to be, I know, but 60 per cent of them are not British nationals.
Nigel Farage revisited his previous comments on the issue
GB News
“You can come into Britain from anywhere in the world and get diagnosed with HIV, and get the retroviral drugs that cost up to £25,000 per year per patient.”
“Now, this is a subject that got me into terrible trouble,” Farage told GB News, referring to his past remarks.
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“The howls of condemnation that came down upon me have made it very difficult to talk about this subject.
“But once again, this subject is back. As migrants fuel a surge in HIV cases to a 15-year high.
“Now, when we say migrants, these are people that were born overseas.
“I just asked a simple question, as I did then, is this what the National Health Service is actually for?”
Nigel Farage highlighted the issue many years ago
SKY/GB News
New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows HIV diagnoses in England have reached a 15-year high.
More than 6,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2023, marking a 51 per cent increase from the previous year.
For the first time on record, over half of all HIV diagnoses were made among those previously diagnosed abroad.
Net migration to the UK stood at 685,000 last year, slightly down from the 2022 peak of 764,000.
The Terrence Higgins Trust warned that the goal is “in jeopardy”.
Richard Angell, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Today’s new figures show people from ethnic minorities face an increasing burden of HIV, with rising diagnoses and worse health outcomes than the population as a whole.”
Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne responded to the data, stating: “This data shows we have much more work to do and brings to light concerning inequalities in access to tests and treatments.”
He added: “Our new HIV Action Plan aims to end transmissions in England by 2030 with better prevention, testing and treatment.”
