Tory candidate taking on Nigel Farage compares Reform UK rallies to Nazi Germany

The Tory candidate taking on Nigel Farage has said Reform UK rallies are “reminiscent” of those staged by the Nazis in Nuremberg.

Giles Watling, who has been the Conservative MP for Clacton since 2017, branded the party's recent mass gatherings as “chilling” and a “very un-British way of doing things”.

He told PoliticsHome: “I’m not ascribing any of these sort of things to Nigel Farage himself but the method, the process is just sort of reminiscent of the big rallies at Nuremberg with people standing to one side. It’s a personality cult that’s been created.” Mr Watling added: “There may be no evil intent, but it feels wrong and bad."

Nigel Farage accused his Tory rival of insulting decent Reform supporters with the comparison to Nazi Germany

The Tory candidate said there was “beautiful irony” that his own campaign posters have been defaced by people "painting over my face and turning me into Adolf Hitler".

Mr Farage hit back at the comments, saying: "Watling shows contempt for the thousands of decent people who turned up in Birmingham yesterday and those who come to my rallies in Clacton. They are decent, law-abiding citizens. How dare he insult them like that."

An estimated 5,000 supporters turned out for a Reform UK rally in Birmingham on Sunday, and Mr Farage has held several mass gatherings in Clacton during the campaign.

Mr Watling, a former actor, was first elected as MP for Clacton in 2017 with a majority of 15,828. He was re-elected in 2019 with an increased majority of 24,702.

But a number of polls have suggested Mr Farage could seize the Essex seat, sending him to Parliament for the first time after seven failed bids to become an MP. Survation’s constituency poll in Clacton last month put Mr Farage on course to win the seat on an unprecedented 43.5% swing from the Conservatives to Reform UK.

The survey put Reform UK on 42%, with the Tories on 27% and Labour on 24%. However it is unclear whether recent racism accusations levelled against the party - and anger at Mr Farage's suggestion that the West provoked Russian aggression against Ukraine - will have an impact.

Labour has been accused of giving up the fight in Clacton, which the party regards as unwinnable. Labour candidate Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who gained widespread attention for his campaign, has been reportedly sent to the West Midlands to join the fight in what party chiefs regard as winnable seats.

Keir Starmer denied the allegations last week, insisting his party is "fighting everywhere". He praised Mr Owusu-Nepaul, saying he is an "excellent candidate".