Nigel Farage has confirmed he wants to deport women asylum seekers back to the Taliban in Afghanistan if he becomes prime minister.

The Reform UK leader’s position on the topic has not been clear, with him previously saying he wouldn’t send women back to the fundamentalist regime that took over after western militaries withdrew, before now saying he would.

Mr Farage was speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby at the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham.

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When asked if he would “detain” women and children and “send them back”, the Clacton MP said “yes”.

Challenged on when he said in August that he was not “discussing” women and children, Mr Farage claimed this was a reference to his desire to see men detained on arrival in the UK.

At the time, he said he was “very, very clear” on the “deportation of illegal immigrants”, adding: “We are not even discussing women and children at this stage – there are so many illegal males in Britain, and the news reports that said that after my conference yesterday were wrong”.

Speaking today, Mr Farage claimed that the UK has a “duty of care” to a child if, for example, a four-year-old arrives in a dinghy – but not to women and men.

“For clarity, those that cross the English Channel will be detained and deported, men and women,” Mr Farage went on.

“Children, we’ll have to think about.”

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‘No one’ can prevent small boats crossing the Channel

The Reform leader also rowed back on his pledge to stop all boats within two weeks if he is elected prime minister.

Speaking to the conference yesterday, Mr Farage said: “You cannot come here illegally and stay – we will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”

But speaking to Beth Rigby today, he changed tack – saying “the passing of legislation” would be required.

He said only then would the boats be stopped within two weeks, or sooner In the interview with Rigby, Mr Farage tried to claim he did not say he would end the boats within two weeks of “winning government”.

But the video of his speech, as well as the transcript released by Reform UK, clearly show him saying: “We will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”

When asked why he wouldn’t be able to follow through with his initial claim, Mr Farage said it was impossible and that “no one” can prevent them crossing the Channel.

The Reform UK leader said the law he wants to introduce will be called the Illegal Migration Act once it is passed by parliament.

He confirmed his agenda includes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, shutting down asylum hotels and housing people at RAF bases instead, as well as deporting Channel migrants.

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Mr Farage also claimed that deportation flights would also begin within two weeks of the law changing, and this combination of factors would stop people from wanting to travel from France.

This strategy all depends on Reform UK winning the next general election – which Labour does not have to call until 2029.

However, the Reform leader says he believes the government will collapse in 2027 due to economic pressure and other factors.

Reform are currently well clear of Labour and the Conservatives in the polling, and are targeting next year’s Welsh, Scottish and English local elections to try and win more power in councils and national assemblies.

The families of the British couple killed in the Lisbon funicular crash have said they are “heartbroken” as they paid tribute to them.

Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, died alongside 14 others in Wednesday’s incident, including another British victim who has not yet been named.

Ms Smith graduated from the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, where Mr Nelson ran the master’s degree in directing.

In a statement shared by Cheshire Police, Ms Smith’s family said: “Kayleigh was loved by family and friends for her wit and humour, her kind and caring nature came to the fore in her work as a funeral operative.

“She was also a talented theatre director and had just completed a Master’s Degree. They both leave family and friends heartbroken.”

Mr Nelson’s younger brother, who was not named in the statement, added: “Words cannot begin to describe how our family and friends are feeling right now but here is the best attempt. This week, due to a tragic accident in Lisbon, Portugal, we lost Will Nelson, who was not just my big brother but everyone’s.

“He was always kind, selfless, and protective, and the world does not feel right or normal without him. He was and has always been my hero, and we will miss you always. Love you, rest in peace you legend.”

MADS theatre in Macclesfield, Cheshire, said Ms Smith was a “valued member of our society” who will be “greatly missed”.

It said she was an award-winning director and actress, who had also done multiple crew and front-of-house roles.

Macclesfield MP Tim Roca paid tribute to Ms Smith, saying she was a “hugely talented theatre director” who “poured her creativity, energy and kindness into every production”.

Mr Nelson was “equally dedicated to nurturing creativity and inspiring the next generation” and “his loss will be felt deeply by colleagues and students alike”, the MP added.

Hours before the crash, Ms Smith posted pictures on Instagram of their first day in Lisbon with the caption: “Churches and castles, tiles and trams.”

Five Portuguese citizens died when the packed carriage plummeted out of control – four of them workers at a charity on the hill – but most victims were foreigners.

Police said the other fatalities were two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French citizen, one Swiss and one Ukrainian.

All but one were declared dead at the scene – and 21 others in the packed carriage were injured.

The yellow carriages of the Gloria funicular are a big draw for tourists, as well as a proud symbol of the Portuguese capital.

The journey is just 265m (870ft) up a steep hill and takes three minutes, with two carriages travelling in opposite directions on a linked cable.

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Witnesses reported seeing one of the carriages hurtle down the hill before derailing and crashing 30m from the bottom.

The aftermath shows it crumpled and twisted against the side of a building.

People who were in the bottom carriage said they were a few metres into the climb when it started going backwards.

When they saw the other car speeding towards them, many jumped through the windows to escape.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro called the crash “one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past” and authorities are under intense pressure to quickly identifying the cause.

One witness who was in the lower carriage told Sky’s Europe correspondent Alistair Bunkall that the brakes appeared to fail.

The carriage’s brakeman, Andre Marques, has also been confirmed among the dead.

Officials said the streetcar, which has been running since 1914, had a half-hour visual inspection every day and underwent full maintenance last year.

The line links the downtown area near Restauradores Square with Lisbon’s Bairro Alto neighbourhood.

A preliminary technical report due on Friday has now been delayed until Saturday. Another report with a broader scope is expected within 45 days.

Three other funicular lines in Lisbon have been suspended.

Clashes have broken out at a protest for Palestine Action in London as police reveal they have made around 150 arrests.

The Metropolitan Police said officers had been “subjected to an exceptional level of abuse” at the Westminster protest, including “punches, kicks, spitting and objects being thrown”.

It added some protesters had been both physically and verbally abusive in a “coordinated effort to prevent officers carrying out their duties”, and that a number of the arrests were made for assault.

Officers were seen drawing their batons while demonstrators took action in support of the proscribed terror organisation.

One man was seen with blood streaming down his face behind a barrier after being arrested, while the crowd was heard chanting “shame on you” and “you’re supporting genocide”.

Tense scenes on the western side of Parliament Square saw several protesters fall over in a crush while water was thrown at officers.

The Met Police announced the first arrests of the day on X just 12 minutes after the protest’s official start time.

The protest’s organiser, Defend Our Juries, said it estimated 1,500 had gathered for the rally, where many of them held signs saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

In an update early on Saturday evening, the Met said: “Any assaults against officers will not be tolerated and arrests have already been made. We will identify all those responsible and prosecute to the full extent of the law.”

It had warned before the protest that “expressing support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act”.

“Where our officers see offences, we will make arrests,” it said.

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries claimed the rally had been “the picture of peaceful protest” and that the Met Police’s statement about its officers being abused was an “astonishing claim”.

“I’ve been here all day and I haven’t seen any violence or aggression from anyone,” they said. “I’ve only seen aggression and violence from the police.”

Palestine Action has been banned as a terror group since 5 July after MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move proposed by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper, making it illegal to express support for the group.

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The ban on the group came shortly after two Voyager aircraft suffered around £7m worth of damage at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June.

More than 530 people were arrested at the last major demonstration against Palestine Action being banned as a terror group. However, the Met Police used “street bail” to avoid having to process them all in custody.

Street bail allows officers to release suspects on bail before they are taken to a police station. The suspect receives a bail notice requiring them to return to a station at a future date instead.

The organisers encouraged protesters not to accept street bail during today’s demonstration, writing in a briefing document before they started: “It will not be practically possible for the police to arrest 1,000 non-compliant people on the same day, and that is the strategic rationale behind non-compliance. It increases pressure on the state.”

In a reference to the advice in the briefing document, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Sky News the move would be “misguided”.

It faces a legal challenge in November after the High Court granted a full judicial review to Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori.