Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has take aim at Conservative Party leadership hopeful James Cleverly in an escalating war of words.

The Shadow Home Secretary criticised Mr Farage last weekend for trying to “generate traffic” amid the riots taking place across the UK.

Mr Cleverly added: “I think some of the things that he has framed as questions are clearly designed to generate traffic, generate digital content. And he needs to decide, is he a politician, a serious politician, or is he a social media content creator?

“As politicians, we have a duty to think very, very carefully about what we do and very, very carefully about what we say.”

Mr Farage then posted a blunt response on X. Alongside a screenshot of Mr Cleverly saying “He needs to decide, is he a politician, a serious politician, or is he a social media content creator?”, Mr Farage replied: “You are neither”, in a brutal three-word slap down.

The clash comes after Mr Farage came under fire for the statements he had made regarding the riots, which followed the stabbings in Southport last month.

Suspect Axel Rudakubana is accused of killing three young girls.

Before Rudakubana had been named, Mr Farage said on X: “I just wonder whether the truth is being withheld from us. Something is going horribly wrong in our once beautiful country.”

The suspect was only able to be named when reporting restrictions were lifted by the judge.

After some media commentators branded the disorder in the UK as ‘the Farage riots’, the Reform leader defended himself last week.