Georgia Pearce
Guest Reporter
Labour activist Suzy Stride has sparked a heated row with Nigel Farage after defending the government's campaigning in the US for Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump filed a scathing complaint to the US Federal Electoral Commission, claiming that Labour's "illegal foreign assistance" was "another feeble attempt in a long line of anti-American election interference".
Discussing her own trip to the US on GB News, Labour member and activist Suzy Stride claimed that her trip to Nevada to campaign for Kamala Harris was "not funded by the party", and stressed that the arrangement is "something that has always happened", but the "right wing have jumped on" this scenario because of the Labour government.
Stride explained to Nigel Farage: "I paid my own accommodation, my own flights, went into Nevada, it was great to knock on doors.
"This is something that's always happened, and I personally do think this is a non-story. I've no idea why it's got this big.
"And I don't actually think it's good for democracy because we're making a big deal out of predominantly young adults in this country from both parties going over to the US."
Accepting that Stride funded her own campaign trip, Farage argued that the LinkedIn post shared by Sofia Patel, the Labour Party’s head of operations, did not disclose that members would be paying for their own trips.
Farage told Stride: "The problem Labour have got is twofold. One is Morgan McSweeney. When he went over to America, it was said in the press he was going to explain to the Democrats Labour's targeting strategy.
"Two is the Sofia Patel advert to Labour staff - it didn't say anywhere that they wouldn't be on full pay, didn't say anywhere they need to buy their own airplane tickets and says they have free accommodation. And that is problematic."
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Defending the post, Stride argued: "That's not problematic. I have been a Labour Party member and activist for 20 years. She's [Patel] only got a few words to say in a very punchy in a social media post, and I feel so sorry for, because I think she's fantastic.
"She probably didn't realise that the right-wing people were going to jump all over it, and make a big story out of something that's not a story.
"What happened is absolutely normal, in the same way that Republicans came over and campaigned for the Conservative Party, in the same way that Tories go over there and campaign. By making this a big deal, I think we literally make our politics poorer, we make our cultural experience poorer."
In complete disagreement with Stride, Farage hit back: "It was incredibly badly worded, at best, and the really big story is that America is our most important ally in the world."
Stride interjected Farage, claiming: "The big story is Donald Trump is a bit like a spoiled brat. I fear for my child sometimes because I really hope Donald Trump doesn't win.
"This behaviour, making such a big deal out of this - we've got far greater things to be talking about, far greater things actually going on."
Enraged by Stride's remarks, Farage fumed: "I tell you what matters - who's the leader of the Western world matters, right?
"Whether we get a Democrat president or Republican president really matters, in the light of the Middle East, Ukraine, what could happen in Taiwan, it matters hugely. I suggest to you that Harris is now on the back foot and just lashing out at Trump."
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Donald Trump filed a scathing complaint to the US Federal Electoral Commission, claiming that Labour's "illegal foreign assistance" was "another feeble attempt in a long line of anti-American election interference".
Discussing her own trip to the US on GB News, Labour member and activist Suzy Stride claimed that her trip to Nevada to campaign for Kamala Harris was "not funded by the party", and stressed that the arrangement is "something that has always happened", but the "right wing have jumped on" this scenario because of the Labour government.
Stride explained to Nigel Farage: "I paid my own accommodation, my own flights, went into Nevada, it was great to knock on doors.
"This is something that's always happened, and I personally do think this is a non-story. I've no idea why it's got this big.
"And I don't actually think it's good for democracy because we're making a big deal out of predominantly young adults in this country from both parties going over to the US."
Accepting that Stride funded her own campaign trip, Farage argued that the LinkedIn post shared by Sofia Patel, the Labour Party’s head of operations, did not disclose that members would be paying for their own trips.
Farage told Stride: "The problem Labour have got is twofold. One is Morgan McSweeney. When he went over to America, it was said in the press he was going to explain to the Democrats Labour's targeting strategy.
"Two is the Sofia Patel advert to Labour staff - it didn't say anywhere that they wouldn't be on full pay, didn't say anywhere they need to buy their own airplane tickets and says they have free accommodation. And that is problematic."
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Defending the post, Stride argued: "That's not problematic. I have been a Labour Party member and activist for 20 years. She's [Patel] only got a few words to say in a very punchy in a social media post, and I feel so sorry for, because I think she's fantastic.
"She probably didn't realise that the right-wing people were going to jump all over it, and make a big story out of something that's not a story.
"What happened is absolutely normal, in the same way that Republicans came over and campaigned for the Conservative Party, in the same way that Tories go over there and campaign. By making this a big deal, I think we literally make our politics poorer, we make our cultural experience poorer."
In complete disagreement with Stride, Farage hit back: "It was incredibly badly worded, at best, and the really big story is that America is our most important ally in the world."
Stride interjected Farage, claiming: "The big story is Donald Trump is a bit like a spoiled brat. I fear for my child sometimes because I really hope Donald Trump doesn't win.
"This behaviour, making such a big deal out of this - we've got far greater things to be talking about, far greater things actually going on."
Enraged by Stride's remarks, Farage fumed: "I tell you what matters - who's the leader of the Western world matters, right?
"Whether we get a Democrat president or Republican president really matters, in the light of the Middle East, Ukraine, what could happen in Taiwan, it matters hugely. I suggest to you that Harris is now on the back foot and just lashing out at Trump."
Find Out More...