Farage reported to police over pub photo on Twitter
Accused of breaking quarantine after US trip
A political opponent reported Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to police for apparently breaking quarantine rules in a Kent pub. Mr Farage posted a picture on Twitter of himself enjoying a pint on Saturday, sparking the row.
The former Ukip leader, who stood to be an MP in Thanet South in 2015 and is believed to live near Westerham, returned from the US less than two weeks ago.
Pubs and other businesses across the UK re-opened on so-called ‘Super Saturday’ as coronavirus lockdown rules were eased.
Mr Farage wrote: ‘12 o’clock, first customer in. Love it.’
The posting prompted a complaint by Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, who suggested Mr Farage should have been in quarantine for the full 14 days.
Mr Davey wrote a letter of complaint to Kent’s chief constable Alan Pughsley.
He said: “There are clearly serious questions to answer for Nigel Farage. It is clear from his social media posts that he was in America on 20 June and he was pictured at a Trump rally that evening.
“Given the current requirements for visitors returning to the UK to isolate for 14 full days on their return, Nigel Farage appears to be in violation of the quarantine. It is a responsibility of everyone to take the lockdown requirements seriously in order to stop the spread of the virus. By choosing to go to the pub when it appears he should have been staying at home, Mr Farage is showing a flagrant disregard for the safety of people in his community.”
But Mr Farage posted later in the day to say he had tested negative for the virus.
He tweeted: “To all those screaming and shouting about me going to the pub... I have been back from the USA for 2 weeks and I have been tested the result was negative. Sorry to disappoint you. Cheers!”
That evening he posted a video of his visit the Queen’s Head in the village of Downe. Mr Farage travelled to Oklahoma to attend a rally for Donald Trump in Tulsa, which took place on June 20.
Earlier this month, Mr Farage accused police of singling him out after his visit to Dover to “report on the arrival of illegal immigrants” prompted officers to visit his home to advise him on unessential travel.
Under UK quarantine rules imposed last month, most passengers coming into the UK from abroad are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days at a given address.
A Kent Police spokesman said the force was unable to comment on allegations against named individuals.