James Crisp. Freelance journalist in Brussels.
Hire me for journalism, moderation, and sparkling copy
Farage on Commission’s Brexit boss: ‘I wouldn’t call him British’
UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage has said he wouldn’t call English EU senior official Jonathan Faull British, in a stinging rebuke to the veteran civil servant chosen by the European Commission to head up its taskforce on the “Brexit” referendum.
Faull’s appointment was announced yesterday (24 June), as part of a shake-up of the executive’s top staff. Born in Kent, England, Faull is currently the director general of the Commission’s financial services department and takes up his post in September.
>Read: Commission reshuffle has Faull take charge of Brexit taskforce
Farage was speaking at today’s European Council summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Prime Minister David Cameron is presenting his proposals for EU reforms, described as weak by Farage, at the meeting.
The UKIP MEP had kinder words for Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and his right-hand man Frans Timmermans. They were very clever men, he said, before noting that was a marked improvement on the previous Commission and its Commissioners. He also desribed how the UK would thrive after choosing to leave the EU.
As he chatted to reporters, he discussed the formation of a new far right group in the European Parliament, which Janice Atkinson, a former UKIP MEP is propping up.
