Farage criticised for failing to 'stand up to idol' Trump over autism claim

Nigel Farage has refused to criticise Donald Trump for claiming large women who instrumentality paracetamol hazard causing autism successful their kid - saying "science is ne'er settled".

The Reform UK person was asked by Nick Ferrari connected LBC whether the US president was close to marque the link, which UK wellness officials person discredited.

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He replied: "I person nary thought … you know, we were told thalidomide was a precise harmless cause and it wasn't. Who knows, Nick, I don't know."

Mr Farage, who is simply a person of Mr Trump, said the president has a "particular happening astir autism - I deliberation due to the fact that there's been immoderate successful his family, helium feels it precise personally".

Asked if helium would broadside with aesculapian experts who person said determination is nary grounds for the link, Mr Farage said: "I wouldn't, erstwhile it comes to science, I don't broadside with anybody.

"I don't broadside with anybody, you know, because, due to the fact that subject is ne'er settled, and we should retrieve that."

Pressed again connected whether it was irresponsible to marque that nexus arsenic US president, Mr Farage replied: "That's an sentiment he's got. It's not 1 that I needfully share. But I mean, honestly, I've nary idea."

On Monday, the US president claimed determination had been a "meteoric rise" successful cases of autism and suggested the usage of Tylenol - an American-branded mentation of paracetamol - during gestation is simply a imaginable cause.

UK wellness experts and officials person pushed backmost hard connected the claim, saying determination is "no evidence" for it - including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said that "I spot doctors implicit President Trump, frankly, connected this".

Speaking connected ITV's Lorraine, Mr Streeting said: "I've conscionable got to beryllium truly wide astir this: determination is nary grounds to nexus the usage of paracetamol by large women to autism successful their children. None."

The health secretary past referenced a large survey successful Sweden past twelvemonth that progressive 2.4 cardinal children, adding it "did not uphold those claims".

He added: "I would conscionable accidental to radical watching, don't wage immoderate attraction whatsoever to what Donald Trump says astir medicine.

"In fact, don't instrumentality adjacent instrumentality my connection for it, arsenic a person - perceive to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS."

The wellness caput besides took purpose astatine Mr Farage implicit his nonaccomplishment to criticise the US president, saying helium had "no thought and nary backbone".

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He referred to a abstracted contention successful which Dr Aseem Malhotra, a vaccine-sceptic doctor, told the Reform Party league that the COVID vaccine gave the royal household cancer.

"Anti-science, anti-reason, anti-NHS," Mr Streeting said.

A spokesperson for Reform UK said: "Dr Aseem Malhotra is simply a impermanent talker with his ain opinions who has an advisory relation successful the US government. Reform UK does not endorse what helium said but does judge successful escaped speech."

The Liberal Democrats besides criticised Mr Farage, accusing him of wanting to enforce Mr Trump's "dangerous anti-science docket present successful the UK".

A spokeswoman said: "Peddling this benignant of nonsense is irresponsible and wrong.

"It seems Farage would alternatively spot large women endure successful symptom than basal up to his idol Donald Trump."