The Reform leader revealed his family are “begging” him to leave his job amid increasing pressure.
BBC Laura Kuenssberg flooded with complaints as Nigel Farage sparks fury (Image: BBC)
Nigel Farage sat down for an interview with Laura Kuenssberg on her self-titled BBC show on Sunday. The Reform UK leader attempted to clear up reports of an investigation into his former chief of staff and an undercover reporter discussing what appears to have been a scheme to funnel foreign money to his party. His former chief of staff Dan Jukes and ex-head of policy James Orr have both been removed from their jobs after an investigation recorded them talking about how to get money to the party from an American donor and asking a fake company to pay for polling. Jukes has denied doing anything wrong. Orr has told Sky News he will co-operate fully with Reform’s internal investigation.
In a film by Verbatim Investigations and Channel 4 News, Farage and Jukes were present during a conversation in which it is suggested the US donor gives £500,000 to Reform through his UK-based son. However, the Reform leader has declared he “frankly wasn’t listening” during the conversation. Farage is also facing a parliamentary standards investigation over an undisclosed £5 million gift he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. He dubbed it as a “tactic” being used against him and believes it will be unending.
Laura questioned: “But where is your evidence that questions about your financial affairs are being asked again, and again, and agin. Even your own mistake of not reporting things properly to the parliamentary authorities on 17 different occasions. Where is your evidence that is a big stitch up or a big plot? It sounds like you’re just saying poor me?”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sat down for an interview with BBC host Laura Kuenssberg (Image: BBC)
Nigel replied: “No, no, no. I’m not saying that. Actually, all my colleagues around me have huge questions. I get the point about scrutiny when you get into power. On the declaration stuff it was all declared unlike Keir [Starmer].
There is an attempt to sully the name of the party. People constantly making complaints about financial matters. Politics is now a big money game.”
He then claimed: “The treasurer of Reform will go to prison if things are got wrong. It’s as simple as that.”
The interview sparked a fierce online debate, with many taking to social media to complain.
One commented: “This interview with Nigel Farage is like watching a car crash in slow motion #BBCLauraK.”
Another said: “It’s good to see Laura Kuenssberg in top form this morning and she handled Nigel Farage very well. In my view the Reform bubble has burst and it won’t bounce back #BBCLauraK.”
“Irrelevant start really interviewing Farage on what he might do or not do if Reform do or do not get in some time in the future #bbclaurak,” a third argued.
A fourth raged: “Think Nigel has explained enough about this engineered scenario, move on ffs if that’s all they want to talk about it just shows the public how desperate other political party’s are afraid of Reform.”
While a fifth said: “So it was a plot, a set up, he wasn’t listening, the excuses change every time he opens his mouth. Same as with his excuses for his last lot of dodgy donation.”