West provoked Ukraine war, Nigel Farage says

In the interview, Mr Farage also accused the Conservatives of failing to deliver on Brexit.

As the leader of UKIP, he was a key figure in the campaign to leave the EU.

While the issue dominated the 2019 general election, with Boris Johnson campaigning on the slogan “Get Brexit Done”, it has not featured prominently in the current campaign.

Asked if he stood by his previous claim that Brexit had failed, Mr Farage said: “No, it’s not a failure but we failed to deliver.

“It can’t be a failure. We’ve left the European Union. We’re now self-governing.”

But he added: “Brexit has failed those who voted for it, believing that immigration numbers would be reduced.”

Net migration – the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving – has risen sharply since 2021, when the UK left the EU.

This has been driven by non-EU nationals coming to the UK.

Net migration reached record levels in 2022 before reducing slightly the following year.

Reform UK has said it backs a freeze on non-essential immigration to relieve pressure on housing and public services, increase wages and “protect our culture identity and values”.