Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has branded Nigel Farage a "master of the conspiracy theory" after the Reform UK leader sought to link events at RAF Fairford to small boat crossings in the Channel.
Farage reacted to the arrests of the men on Sunday by saying he had for months warned of "Iranian agents" coming into the UK across the Channel in small boats, and suggested a connection between those crossings and the suspected bomb plot at the Gloucestershire airbase.
The comment drew swift criticism from Nandy, who said the claims amounted to speculative and inflammatory rhetoric. Her intervention highlighted concern among senior politicians about public figures drawing unproven links between separate security incidents and migration.
Political reaction
The episode underscores the sensitivities around the handling of national security incidents and migration policy in Britain. Farage, who leads Reform UK, has frequently focused on immigration in his public comments; his attempt to tie the Fairford arrests to Channel crossings prompted a rebuttal from the culture secretary.
Authorities have said little beyond confirming arrests on Sunday in connection with a suspected plot at RAF Fairford. Officials and analysts have in recent days urged caution against premature attributions of motive or origin until investigations produce clearer evidence.