Nigel Farage warned George Galloway will “divide our country horrendously” after his Rochdale by-election victory.
The former Ukip leader said the left-wing firebrand, who now leads the Workers Party of Britain, is “very charismatic” and “perhaps the best orator I’ve ever heard”.
But he said he fears his win marks the emergence of “sectarian politics” in Britain.
Mr Farage told GB News: “George Galloway is perhaps the best orator I’ve ever heard and during the referendum campaign George and I did work together and it was really notable that Bradford, a city with a huge Muslim population, voted to leave.
“So George is enormously powerful, very charismatic, and even though I disagree with him profoundly on things, on a one-to-one basis I struggle not to like him.
“But I’m afraid he’s now using that power, that ability, that personality, in a way that will divide our country horrendously.
“I’m only enough to remember what sectarian politics looked like in Northern Ireland and I now fear it’s come to England.”
Mr Galloway, one of Britain’s most divisive politicians, swept to victory in the greater Manchester seat.
He won almost 40% of the vote in a contest mired in chaos and controversy and dominated by the Gaza conflict.
Mr Galloway took aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in his victory speech this morning.
He said: “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza. You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.”
Labour’s campaign was thrown into disarray when it ditched its candidate in an antisemitism row.
Ellie Reeves, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator, today apologised to the voters of Rochdale for not fielding a candidate.
