Nigel Farage Says He Is Being Treated Like ‘A War Criminal’ By The Media

Posted on 13/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Nigel Farage has been criticised after claiming he is being “treated like a war criminal” by his critics.

The Reform UK made the astonishing remark while being interviewed by the party’s in-house podcast.

He was speaking after he shocked Westminster last week by quitting as MP for Clacton to trigger a by-election in the seat.

Farage claimed he was the victim of a “witch hunt” as he faces a parliamentary standards investigation over a £5 million gift from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire but did not declare.

He could also face separate probes over support he received from convicted fraudster George Cottrell and lobbying he has done on cryptocurrency.

On the podcast, he said calling the by-election was “the right thing to do”.

“I think effectively I’m being treated like a war criminal,” he said.

“It’s quite astonishing, and it’s like our mainstream media think we have to defer to them at all times, and I just don’t buy that.

“You look at today’s press and they say he doesn’t want scrutiny. I don’t mind scrutiny, but I do mind illegally obtained information, I do mind computer hacking. I genuinely mind those things, and the intimidation of my family.

“I just thought it had all reached such a frenzy that I had to do something.”

The decision to trigger the by-election has backfired, though, after Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems, Greens and Restore Britain all said they would not stand candidates in the contest.

Instead, Farage faces a head-to-head battle with Count Binface.

The Reform leader said: “I’ve done something positive. They wanted a by-election here. Well now they’ve got one and they don’t want to stand.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Farage needs to wake up and realise that the public expect all politicians to be held to account for their actions.

“Farage is not a war criminal, but he is trying to dodge scrutiny over a secret £5 million ‘gift’ from a crypto billionaire and undeclared donations from a convicted fraudster, and it’s perfectly reasonable for people to ask him questions about it.

“Farage can keep trying to distract, but the public can increasingly see that he’s just in it for himself and he thinks the rules don’t apply to him.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Police Urge People Not To Speculate On ‘Motive’ Of Ann Widdecombe’s Alleged Murder

Posted on 12/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Police have urged the public not to speculative on the “motive” behind Ann Widdecombe’s alleged murder.

The former Conservative minister, and later Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at about 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.

A 28-year-old white British man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, shortly after 9pm on Saturday.

At a police briefing on Sunday, assistant chief constable Matt Longman, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “At this point, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident and at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this murder.

“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it was politically-motivated.”

He said detectives “remain open-minded about the potential motive” and stressed it is not believed there is any threat to the wider public.

The officer added: “We are aware of online and public speculation, particularly with regards to motive.

“Again, I urge people not to share or engage with that speculation – it’s unhelpful, it doesn’t aid our investigation, and particularly, it’s distressing to the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe.”

Speaking as he laid a wreath outside Widdecombe’s home on Saturday, Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “From what I make out, this was premeditated murder.

“Whether it was politically motivated, whether it was someone with a grudge. I don’t think it pays at this time to speculate.”

It has also emerged that Reform MPs are being given round the clock security protection following Widdecombe’s death.

Meanwhile, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, accused parliamentary authorities of not caring about the safety of the party’s MPs.

In a post on X, he said: “The state is providing no protection whatsoever.

“In fact, based on what I have seen in the last 48 hours, none of the government, the Speaker nor the police care at all about the security of Reform MPs.

“Several of our MPs have written to the above in recent months about distressing, escalating security concerns, asking for help. Their correspondence was not even replied to. I will let you draw your own conclusions from this.”

Given the way this headline is worded, many are (understandably) taking it to mean Reform MPs have been given police protection by the state.

I want to clarify that the opposite is true.

The state is providing no protection whatsoever.

In fact, based on what I have seen in the… pic.twitter.com/TaFZzEMNkH

— Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) July 12, 2026

But independent MP Rosie Duffield replied: “Every single sitting MP is entitled to security provided by the House of Commons. This also covers our outside engagements.”

The Commons Speaker’s office has been approached for comment.

British Voters Want Count Binface To Beat Nigel Farage In Clacton By-Election

Posted on 10/07/2026 by Boris Clair

British voters want Count Binface to beat Nigel Farage in next month’s Clacton by-election.

A new poll by Ipsos UK shows that in a head-to-head contest, 33% would back the comedy candidate, compared to just 21% who support the Reform UK leader.

But 32% said they would vote for neither of them, and 13% don’t know.

The by-election was triggered after Farage announced on Tuesday that he was resigning as Clacton’s MP amid mounting controversy over his and Reform’s finances.

Parliament’s standards commissioner is investigating a £5 million gift Farage received from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire shortly before he became an MP.

The sleaze watchdog has also been urged to probe Farage’s decision not to declare financial support he received from convicted fraudster George Cottrell.

Farage denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a witch-hunt.

He wants the by-election to me a “people versus the establishment” contest, but that has backfired after Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems, Greens and Restore Britain all said they would not put up candidates.

Instead, Farage’s main rival is set to be Count Binface.

The poll also showed that 74% of voters believe the standards commissioner should be investigating whether Farage broke parliamentary rules.

And 73% say the investigation should continue even if Farage wins the by-election.

Ipsos research director Keiran Pedley said: “Of course, it is the people of Clacton that will vote in the upcoming by-election and not the public overall.

“But the fact that just one in five Britons would prefer Nigel Farage to win reflects how his personal poll ratings have fallen over the past year – even if Reform supporters remain very much behind him.

“Elsewhere in the poll we see strong support for parliamentary standards investigations continuing even if Mr Farage wins the by-election – suggesting his assumed victory will not make these issues go away.”

‘A Stain On Our Politics’: Rupert Lowe Slammed For Calling Dunblane Massacre ‘One Murder’

Posted on 09/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe has been slammed after he described the Dunblane massacre as “one murder”.

The right-wing former Reform UK MP made the remark while being interviewed by Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster.

The pair were discussing the ban on handguns in the UK, which was introduced following the killing of 16 children aged five and six, and their teacher, by Thomas Hamilton at Dunblane Primary School on March 13, 1996.

Another 15 children and three adults were injured before Hamilton killed himself.

Lowe told Rogan the ban was brought in “because there was a murder up in Dunblane”.

When Rogan then asked the Great Yarmouth MP: “One murder?”, Lowe replied: “One murder.”

🚨🏴 WATCH: Rupert Lowe refers to the Dunblane Massacre as “one murder”

Dunblane occurred in 1996, when a gunman entered a school and murdered 16 students and their teacher pic.twitter.com/4o3qag2iRb

— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) July 9, 2026

Keir Brown, the SNP MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, said: “Rupert Lowe is a stain on our politics and his comments are beyond despicable.

“Sixteen children and a teacher were shot dead while 15 more children were wounded.

“Despite these hideous remarks from Rupert Lowe, the Snowdrop Campaign that followed that terrible day ensured a ban on the private ownership of most handguns – that is the proud legacy of the bereaved families and the local community.

“Their courage and determination in the aftermath of the attack is something we should never betray and our community will never let the likes of Rupert Lowe do exactly that.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said: “One murder? Sixteen kids and their teacher were murdered. Fifteen other primary school children were wounded.

“My children’s school, about 15 minutes from Dunblane, was locked down that day. They’ll never forget being kept in the gym hall until everyone learned the gunman was dead.

“They’ll never forget the teachers trying to hold themselves together while reassuring frightened children.

“To reduce that atrocity to ‘one murder’ is deeply insulting. It wasn’t a single murder. It was a mass murder. In a primary school.

“Almost as disturbing was the tone – one of disbelief, even mockery, that anyone could respond by tightening gun laws.

“This wasn’t some obscure historical event. It happened in 1996, when Lowe was 38 years old.

“He should have known what happened on that terrifying day in Dunblane.

“For anyone who remembers that day, hearing it dismissed so casually is genuinely shocking.”

Lowe told Rogan that he was opposed to the UK’s strict gun laws.

“Effectively, they are trying to make that very difficult through the licensing laws for guns,” he said.

“My father used to shoot pistols for Oxford University and he’s dead now, bless him, but all his pistols were taken away, the pistols he used to shoot with at Oxford University. I mean, we now have a society which needs radical change.”

A Restore Britain spokesman said: “Rupert was clearly referring to one incident.”

Lammy Effortlessly Demolishes Farage’s Claim To Be Anti-Establishment With Brutal Putdown

Posted on 08/07/2026 by Boris Clair

David Lammy tore into Nigel Farage during deputy prime minister’s questions on Wednesday over the Reform UK leader’s decision to trigger a by-election.

The Clacton MP dramatically declared that he was resigning, only to run again in a “people versus establishment” contest in his constituency yesterday.

The announcement came as Farage faces a growing list of questions about his finances.

He is currently under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner for failing to declare a £5 million “gift” he received from a crypto-billionaire shortly before he ran for parliament in 2024.

Farage could face further probes for not declaring his entire property portfolio to parliament or for the support he quietly took from “posh” George Cottrell.

It recently emerged the convicted criminal offered Farage funding for staff, security and the use of his London townhouse before he became an MP.

Farage has denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of an “establishment stitch-up”.

But, in the Commons on Wednesday, Lammy – who was representing the government while Keir Starmer is away at the Nato summit in Turkey – questioned Farage’s claim of being a man of the people.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper kicked off the conversation by asking Lammy if Farage’s resignation should be delayed until after the probe into his undeclared gifts.

She joked: “The honorable member for Clacton used to say leave means leave, but it seems his latest stunt is to leave this place so he can return as a fully-fledged member, after not just one referendum on his behaviour, Mr Speaker, but possibly two.”

The deputy PM replied: “Everyone can see that the Reform leader is just trying to distract from the fact that he is up to his neck in sleaze.

“He’s got serious questions to answer and he can’t run away from them.

“Labour isn’t going to be part of this circus.

“I hear it’s the people versus the establishment – the city trader, Putin-admiring, professional politician who is pals with crypto billionaires versus Count Binface.”

All other political parties have decided not to run a candidate against Farage in Clacton, leaving only comedy candidate Count Binface to compete against the Reform leader.

That triggered yet more laughter in the Commons, to which Lammy said: “There have been unqualified joke candidates in the past. Let’s see what the people of Clacton decide.”

Nigel Farage Quits As MP To Trigger By-Election Amid Row Over His Finances

Posted on 07/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Nigel Farage has dramatically quit as an MP to trigger a by-election in his Clacton seat.

The Reform UK leader made the shock announcement amid the mounting furore over his personal finances.

He said it would be a “people versus the establishment” contest as he accused the media and his political opponents of waging a vendetta against him.

In a statement broadcast on social media, Farage said: “I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started, and I would say this to you, the voters of Clacton, if I win, you win, because if I lose, they win, and we will never with the two old parties get the type of fundamental change that we need to fix broken Britain.”

Farage has been under pressure since it emerged in April that he had received a £5 million gift from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before he became an MP.

Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, is carrying out a probe into whether Farage should have declared it – and could recommend he be suspended from the Commons.

By taking matters into his own hands, the Reform boss may be trying to get ahead of the investigation by attempting to secure a fresh mandate from voters in Clacton, who elected him with a majority of 8,400 at the last general election.

Greenberg has also been urged to investigate the financial support Farage accepted from convicted criminal George Cottrell before be entered parliament.

According to the Sunday Times, Cottrell – known as “posh George” – provided funding for Farage’s staffing and security, as well as the use of a London townhouse, before he became an MP.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs need to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Farage has denied any wrongdoing and claimed he is the victim of “an establishment hit job”.

Allies of the Reform leader have described him as “tired” and “stressed” as the pressure mounts, and suggested he needs a break from politics.

His dramatic announcement came a day after he clashed with a Sky News reporter at Heathrow Airport as he returned from America.

Asked if it was a mistake not to declare the financial support he received from George Cottrell, Farage replied: “You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more there will be serious consequences. That’s what your organisation has done this morning. Go away.”

Sky has denied approaching anyone in Farage’s family about the story, which the Reform leader dismissed as “an outright lie”.

In his statement, he said: “The issue with my daughter was the final straw. Enough is enough. And I thought over the weekend, what shall I do?

“I could go out and try and make some real big money. I could go to the USA, where I’ve got plenty of offers. And then I thought, why should I be judged today, or in history in the future, by Sky News and their ilk?

“Why should they be the people that decide my fate? When, as I repeat, I have done nothing wrong.

“I thought about it hard and I have decided today I will resign as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a by-election, which should happen, I hope, in short order.

“Now I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.”

JD Vance Says ‘Something Is Very Broken In British Politics’ In Swipe At Starmer

Posted on 05/07/2026 by Boris Clair

JD Vance has declared “something is very broken in British politics” as the UK prepares for its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.

The American vice-president said Britain “can do a lot more than it’s currently doing” to help its voters in a dig at the current prime minister.

Speaking two weeks before Keir Starmer is expected to hand the keys of No.10 over to Andy Burnham, Vance expressed alarm about the high turnover in Downing Street.

He said: “What that says to me is that something is very broken about British politics and that people are really crying out for significant structural change.”

He claimed he did not know much about the former Manchester mayor but added that the UK is “one of our closest and most important allies” and that the US administration would work with any new leader “as successfully as we can.”

Vance continued: “I hope that Andy Burnham – and if not Andy Burnham, somebody else – is able to deliver [change]. Because Britain is such a beautiful country, such an amazing place.”

Speaking on the 250th year of US independence, Vance claimed he is interested in the UK because of “reasons of mutual interest” and expressed hope that “whoever the prime minister is figures out how to get Britain back on track”.

“I also just care about it because Britain feels more culturally familiar to me than any country on Earth, aside from my own,” Vance said.

His words come after Donald Trump was significantly less diplomatic about Burnham.

The US president described him as an “extremely liberal” politician who “probably won’t open up” the North Sea for further oil and gas drilling.

He also called the former Greater Manchester mayor as “the mayor of a town”.

Burnham is yet to say what his approach to the mercurial president would be.

Starmer bent over backwards to forge a strong bond with Trump and even gave him an unprecedented second state visit to the UK.

However the two fell out after the prime minister refused to let the US use UK military bases to launch attacks on Tehran earlier this year.

Dissatisfaction In Nigel Farage As Reform Leader Rises Amid Fresh Scrutiny, Poll Shows

Posted on 05/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Dissatisfaction in Nigel Farage has increased over the last year amid growing scrutiny over his finances, according to a new poll.

Ipsos found almost two-thirds (63%) of Brits said they are “dissatisfied” with the Reform UK leader in June 2026 compared to 49% in June 2025.

That number far exceeds the number who are still satisfied in Farage – just 26% said they were happy with the Clacton MP this year, compared to 26% in 2025.

The findings come as the Clacton MP is under investigation for not declaring a £5 million donation from a crypto-billionaire shortly before he was sworn into parliament.

He insists he has not broken any parliamentary rules as the lump sum was not used for political purposes.

The Sunday Times has also revealed that Farage did not declare the support he received from convicted criminal George Cottrell prior to his election.

A Reform spokesperson replied: “Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken.”

The party’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick also insisted on Sky News on Sunday that heightened scrutiny on Farage’s finances has not had an impact on their popularity.

Indeed, pollsters at Ipsos found 26% of Brits would vote for Reform if a general election were held tomorrow.

That means Farage’s party has held onto its comfortable lead in the opinion polls even during the heightened scrutiny.

However, Labour appears to have closed much of the gap behind Reform, and is just two points behind on 24%.

The party’s improvement in the polls comes amid speculation that Andy Burnham is going to take over from Keir Starmer.

There’s something going on with Nigel Farage’s poll ratings.

See here from @Ipsos_in_the_UK

Job satisfaction
June 2025
Satisfied 34%
Dissatisfied 49%

June 2026
Satisfied 26% (-8)
Dissatisfied 63% (+14)

Today’s headlines unlikely to help. pic.twitter.com/edDx7TbWIQ

— Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) July 5, 2026

Andy Burnham Has Been Tipped To Bring Another New Labour Big Beast Into Government

Posted on 03/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Andy Burnham has been tipped to bring back another senior figure from the New Labour era in his new-look government.

The former mayor of Manchester – who served as a minister under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown – will officially take over as prime minister from Keir Starmer on July 20.

It has already emerged that his close friend James Purnell, who also served in cabinet during Labour’s last time in power, will be the new No.10 chief of staff.

David Miliband, another New Labour figure, could also be given a seat in the House of Lords in order to become foreign secretary.

Meanwhile, the i newspaper reported that Ed Balls could also be handed a peerage and given a role in Burnham’s government.

HuffPost UK has learned that another New Labour big beast who could make a dramatic comeback is Alan Milburn.

The former health secretary has held talks with Burnham about his review into record levels of unemployment among 18 to 24-year-olds.

In a speech last week, the PM-in-waiting said he wanted to introduce major education reforms which would place greater emphasis on technical qualifications rather than forcing pupils to study at university.

One minister said: “I can see Alan being brought into Andy’s government. He seems to like what Milburn has been saying about getting young people into work.”

Another source said: “Andy keeps referencing Milburn in his speeches, and Alan is clearly up for it.

“It would make sense to allow Alan to drive through his own reforms on youth unemployment as a minister.”

Asked whether Milburn could be handed a role once Burnham becomes prime minister, a source close to the new Makerfield MP insisted he had offered “no jobs and no deals”.

Milburn, who was the MP for Darlington from 1992 until 2010, was seen as an arch-Blairite during his time in government.

As well as being health secretary, he also serves as chief secretary to the Treasury and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under the former prime minister.

After leaving Westminster, he was chair of the Social Mobility Commission between 2012 and 2017.

Like David MIliband, he would need to be made a peer in order to re-enter government.

Starmer’s Former Top Aide Admits Labour Did Not Do Enough Preparation For Government

Posted on 02/07/2026 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff has admitted Labour did not do enough preparation before they were elected into government.

Morgan McSweeney, who was forced to quit over his links to disgraced peer and ex-ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson earlier this year, told the BBC his party was not ready to deliver quickly for voters after their landslide win in 2024.

His remarks come after Starmer announced he was stepping down as Labour leader and prime minister last Monday.

McSweeney told the Political Thinking podcast: “We didn’t prepare enough for what kind of world we were going to. We are now in a very different era than when Labour was last in government.

“I think we didn’t have enough conversations at the top of the party about what that meant, how to prepare for it, what that meant for the state.

“You have to deliver quite quickly for people, for them to see the change quickly. And I think we didn’t come in with enough of a theory about how we would do that.”

McSweeney said Labour should have been “way more optimistic” about the state of the country when it got into office in 2024.

The former aide ran Labour’s general election campaign. He was seen as a key element of Starmer’s rise to the top of the party and into No.10.

He added: “I take my own responsibilities for [not being prepared], rather than blaming one person.”

McSweeney sat as Starmer’s head of political strategy but after three months became his chief of staff once Sue Gray was kicked out of the role.

He added that he was still “processing” Starmer’s fall from grace and said Labour’s 14 years in opposition “went quickly”.

McSweeney also claimed that there was an expectation within the party that Labour would need at least two elections to return to power after its defeat in 2019 – which is why they were unprepared in 2024.

Labour MP for Makerfield Andy Burnham is expected to be crowned the next prime minister by July 20.

He is currently the only Labour MP who has announced his intention to run in the contest to replace Starmer.

But there has been some contestation from his team that Starmer’s departure timetable did not give Burnham long enough to come up with a sound plan for government.

They were allegedly hoping he would stay in post as a caretaker PM until September.

Starmer pushed Labour’s executive body to block Burnham from running to be the party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election back in February.

After Labour was thrashed in the May elections, Josh Simons stood aside as Makerfield MP so Burnham – then Greater Manchester mayor – could run as a candidate.

Only MPs can contest a Labour leader.

But, Starmer clearly saw the writing on the wall after after Burnham’s comfortable victory in Makerfield and announced he was stepping down days later.

Despite Burnham’s rivalry with Starmer, McSweeney said he feels “optimistic” about the new era for the party.

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