Nigel Farage urges the West to admit some 'culpability' in the Charlie Hebdo attacks

The Ukip leader claimed political decisions had 'led to much of what has happened'

Nigel Farage has urged the West to admit some “culpability” in the Charlie Hebdo attacks as he claimed mass immigration, foreign policy and political decisions had contributed to recent events in Paris.

In a debate in the European Parliament on the massacre, the Ukip leader called for Judeo-Christian culture to be defended throughout the West.

Mr Farage said the West needs “an honest admission that actually our political decisions have led to much of what has happened” and claimed foreign policy in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria have created “very deep resentments” within the Muslim community, doing the opposite of its stated purpose of keeping streets safer.

He told MEPs: “We have pursued policies of immigration at a rate that has made it frankly impossible for many new communities to integrate and for that I think we have to hold our hands up.

“Perhaps worst of all we have been guilty of weakness – lack of courage – of lack of assertion of who we are as people.

“We’ve turned a blind eye within many of our minority communities to practises that would not be tolerated in the rest of the population.

“Indeed, we’ve allowed preachers of hate to go around saying things that are totally unacceptable.”

He also repeated widely criticised claims of a "fifth column" living in Western countries opposed to their ideals.

Mr Farage was last week accused of trying to score political points by blaming the massacre on “multiculturalism”.

He continued: “The result of all this is that we do have, I’m sad to say, a fifth column that is living within our countries, that is utterly opposed to our values and how we deal with that problem is vital for the future.

“We must embrace the vast majority of Muslims who themselves are horrified with the civil war that is going on within Islam, but unless we are prepared to admit our own culpability in much of what has happened, we are not going to be able to find solutions.

“We are going to have to be a lot braver and a lot more courageous in standing up for our Judeo-Christian culture.”

Responding to Mr Farage's latest remarks, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Tim Farron said: "Nigel Farage's politics of blame has no place in modern, diverse and tolerant Britain.

"Using these horrific attacks to stir fear and division between people of different faiths is simply playing into the hands of those responsible."