Nigel Farage Ally Criticizes Heathrow Workforce Diversity

A close ally of Nigel Farage has been criticised after he complained about the lack of white people working at Heathrow Airport.

Arron Banks was branded “shocking and disgraceful” after he spoke out in a now-deleted post on X.

Banks, who was Reform UK candidate to become the West of England mayor last year, said: “Going through Heathrow today, there wasn’t one white face in security or airport services.

“The Home Office is staffed by the type of people we are trying to keep out! What hope?”

His comments sparked a wave of criticism online.

Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “What does this say to every non-white adult or child in this country? Born here? Raised here? No matter. Told by a Reform supporter, donor and mayoral candidate Arron Banks that they’re not welcome. Shocking and disgraceful.”

Political commentator Dan Hodges accused Banks of “outright racism”.

The row comes just a week after Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, was accused of racism after attacking a Labour council leader born in Somalia.

Sagal Abdi-Wali, who on Wednesday was chosen as her party’s candidate in the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras by-election, came to the UK as a child refugee with her family more than 30 years ago.

She became a Labour councillor in 2022, and has been leader of Camden Council in north London since May.

In a post on X, Yusuf said: “The front runner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”

It is not the first time that Yusuf’s social media posts have landed him in hot water.

Last month he was slapped down by Nigel Farage after he said Ben Wallace, the former Tory defence secretary who served in the Scots Guards, was “a traitor to Britain”.

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