Farming Farage defends stance on trade deal that allows US chlorinated chicken

Nigel Farage has defended allowing US chlorinated chicken to be sold in the UK as part of a trade deal, as a poll suggested Reform UK could be on course to take the highest number of seats at a general election.

- Rowena Mason

Speaking before the local elections in England on 1 May, he said UK consumers already ate chicken reared in poor conditions from countries such as Thailand and accepted chlorine-washed lettuce.

Farage told the Sunday Times: "If you have a look at the chicken we are currently importing from Thailand, you look at the conditions they've been reared in, and that every single bag of pre-made salad in every single supermarket has been chlorinated... once those basics have been accepted I'll have a debate with you."

Asked how he would prevent UK chicken farmers being undercut by cheap produce from the US, he said: "I want to promote British farming as being a high-end product.

"I think the growth of farmers' markets, they are a much more discerning audience that wants to know where their meat comes from. I don't think British farmers have anything to fear from this long term."