'You watch!' Nigel Farage makes huge election prediction after chaos in Brussels

Nigel Farage predicted that chaos in Brussels over a right-wing conference will boost eurosceptic parties at the upcoming European elections.

Police attempted to shut down the National Conservatism event yesterday while the former Ukip leader was on stage citing concerns over public safety.

But the move sparked widespread condemnation including from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Belgium’s premier Alexander De Croo.

Mr Farage said the scenes will “enormously” boost the vote for eurosceptic parties in June’s European Parliament elections.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “You watch, you watch, on June 9 when we get the European election results come through and when you see eurosceptic parties, Ukip-type parties, topping the poll in nine maybe 10 countries across Europe. What happened yesterday will boost that vote enormously.”

Mr Farage described attempts to close down the conference, where former home secretary Suella Braverman also spoke, as a “monstrous attack on free speech”.

He said: “That was the third venue, the first two venues had cancelled on us having had pressure put upon them by local mayors in Brussels and the venues just folded.

“The conference was really a gathering of people who are sceptical about the power of the EU, the project of ever closer union.

“The kind of people there were representing political parties that are likely to top the polls in nine countries in this round of European elections in June.

“It was a thoroughly respectable bunch of people, there was no public order threat of any kind at all.

“But as I know myself from long years of working in this city, anybody with an opposing opinion, anyone that even questions the basis of the EU is shut down if they possibly can. It was a monstrous attack on free speech.

“Literally I was on the stage as the police came into the hall. I think the fact the Belgian Prime Minister has spoken up, the British Prime Minister has spoken up, the fact that the Italian Prime Minister has spoken up just shows you that what these guys have done is really scored a massive own goal.”

The second day of the conference will take place today after a Brussels court overturned a local mayor’s decision to close it down on Tuesday with Hungarian PM Viktor Orban due to speak.