Farage Slammed Over 1 'Wildly Inaccurate' Claim About Children's Health

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attends a press conference on the economy and renewable energy, in London, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.Nigel Farage has been called out for claiming children in the UK are being “over-diagnosed” with “mental illness problems and other general behavioural disabilities”. The Reform UK leader told a press conference today that the rising number of children diagnosed with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a “massive problem”.He said: “I think we are massively – I’m not being heartless, I’m being frank – I think we are massively over-diagnosing those with mental illness problems and those with other general behavioural disabilities. And I think we’re creating class of victims in Britain that will struggle ever to get out of it.”The Clacton MP also claimed that it’s a “massive mistake” to let family GPs diagnose SEND children. But his comments have sparked significant backlash, with Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, accusing the MP of perpetuating “stigma”.Merritt said: “Nigel Farage’s comments are wildly inaccurate and show that he’s completely out of touch with what autistic children and adults have to go through to get a diagnosis or any support at all.“For the record, absolutely no one has got an autism diagnosis through the GP – this is just incorrect, wrong, fake news.“Children with SEND and disabled adults, including autistic people, are not victims who are being ‘over diagnosed’.“They are people who face huge delays and long fights to get the most basic support across every aspect of their lives, including diagnosis, education, health and social care. “Spreading misinformation only perpetuates stigma and makes life harder. We’re calling on all politicians to drop the political point scoring and stand up for their autistic and other disabled constituents.”Similarly, Guardian columnist John Harris – who has written about his autistic son and their shared love of music – wrote on BlueSky: “Farage talking arrant and nasty shit here.“You can’t get an autism/SEND diagnosis from a GP. People are having to wait years for one.“This is just Trump/Kennedy stuff, with a flavour of Badenoch & the right wing UK media.”Ahead of next week’s local elections, Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson accused Farage of “laying the groundwork to axe crucial special needs provision in councils he’s got his eye on”.She said: “If Nigel Farage had spent any time speaking to parents in his constituency, he’d know he’s barking up the wrong tree.“The special needs crisis needs urgent repair - not his lazy rhetoric. We need a National Body for SEND to end the special needs postcode lottery now.”Related...Nigel Farage Dubbed 'A Con Artist' For Suggesting Climate Change May Not Be Man-MadeCan Nigel Farage Break Down Labour's Re-Built Red Wall – Or Will Voters 'Smell His Bull****'?Nigel Farage Was Asked How He Plans To Pay For All Of Reform's Policies – And Couldn't Answer

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