Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has demanded Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is “gone today” as calls for him to resign over the John Smyth abuse scandal continue to grow.
The Makin Review concluded that Welby did not act rigorously enough about reports of John Smyth’s abuse of more than 100 young boys and men.
The review claimed that it was “unlikely that Justin Welby would have had no knowledge of the concerns” regarding John Smyth in the 1980s.
Welby stressed that he had “no idea or suspicion” of the abuse before 2013.
Nigel Farage called for Welby to resign in a furious rant about the Archbishop
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Taking on X, Farage said in a video statement that Welby must “be gone today” in a scathing attack on the Archbishop.
Delivering his verdict on the scandal, Farage fumed: “Now we know that to sort of protect the reputation of a church, he turned a blind eye to horrific abuse of over 100 young men and decided, ‘well, it’s done now, nothing I can do, let’s not have a scandal’.
“Welby must go, and go today. Go now, be gone. And let’s get somebody as Archbishop of Canterbury who actually wants to preach the Christian message, who actually wants to stand up for the values that once made this country great. Welby be gone!”
Criticising his role as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Farage said the church is in “massive decline” under Welby’s watch, which he feels has been a “complete disaster”.
Farage claimed: “The church is in massive decline. He even voluntarily closed the churches – it wasn’t government that said he got to close the churches, he closed the churches.
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“And that was the first time since 1207. And that was when the Pope shut them. So I’ve had no time for this man at all, he’s been a complete disaster in every way.”
Lashing out at his leadership of the church, Farage continued: “In all seriousness, since he took over as Archbishop in 2013, Anglican congregations have been collapsing all over the country to the benefit of the Roman Catholic Church and evangelicals.
“And it’s because he’s given no leadership or guidance of any kind at all.”
Recalling their “long running feud”, Farage said Welby was “highly abusive” towards him during the time of the Brexit referendum, but he “got his own back” on another occasion.
Farage addressed his ‘long running feud’ with the Archbishop
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Farage told his social media followers: “He was highly abusive about me before the Brexit referendum, quite what made him think he should get involved with that, I don’t know.
“But I got my own back because one day he was walking over Lambeth Bridge and I was going south on an open top bus with a microphone, and I gave him both barrels.”
In response to allegations, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said: “I recognise the courage of those victims, including those related to John Smyth, who have come forward and relived their trauma through contributing to this review.
“I had no idea or suspicion of this abuse before 2012. Nevertheless, the review is clear that I personally failed to ensure that after disclosure in 2013, the awful tragedy was energetically investigated.
“Since that time, the way in which the Church of England engages with victims survivors has changed beyond recognition.”
