Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

John Lydon gave very different views on Brexit and Donald Trump last year

Former Sex Pistol criticised both pro-Leave campaigners and then-Presidential hopeful in 2016 interview

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Tuesday 28 March 2017 09:54 BST
Comments

John Lydon has caused a stir by claiming that he backed the move to leave the EU and wants Britain to have a "truly brilliant" Brexit.

The former Sex Pistols frontman was speaking to ITV News when he stated: "The working class have voted and I support them. Let it be a nice exit. A truly brilliant British exit."

The 'Anarchy in the UK' singer also described Nigel Farage as "fantastic" and insisted that US President Donald Trump was not racist.

"One journalist once said to me, is he the political Sex Pistol? In a way," he said.

"There are many, many problems with him as a human being but he's not [racist] and there just might be a chance something good will come out of that situation because he terrifies politicians."

Sex Pistols’ John Lydon backs Brexit: ‘The working class have spoken’

Lydon has certainly changed his tune from last year.

He told the Metro in 2016 that to leave the European Union would be "insane and suicidal".

"We're never going to go back to that romantic delusion of Victorian isolation, it isn't going to happen," he said. "There'll be no industry, there'll be no trade, there'll be nothing - a slow, dismal, collapse. It's ludicrous.

"It's an act of cowardice really, it's running away from issues instead of solving them."

Asked about Trump in the same interview, he said he couldn't see the former property tycoon sitting in the Oval Office.

"It's a minority at best that support him, and it's so hateful and ignorant. I agree with the basic principle that we're all fed up with politicians, but you can't replace them with businessmen, which is surely the more corrupt form!"

"Everything instinctively tells me that he is a wrong'un," he continued, "and I think he's just one short temper away from World War Three, that fella."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in