Following a documentary derived from the investigative journalism by Verbatim and Channel 4 news, Reform UK and Nigel Farage personally find themselves at the centre of yet another financial donations scandal (or two).  Senior aides to the party were filmed soliciting donations in the form of 3rd Party payments for polling services that Reform UK had itself commissioned from a company called JL Partners, in addition to Nigel Farage and two of his close advisers being filmed arranging to accept a donation of £500k from a foreign donor via the earlier implicated UK Resident donor.  (Donations to UK political parties from foreign entities/ individuals are illegal in UK Politics).

As can be seen in the documentary, Nigel Farage was fully aware of both the polls, and the fact that they had been paid for by a Third Party (not Reform UK).  Later in the conversation, Nigel was heard to say ‘It is all above board” to the UK donor, in what sounds like an affirmation concerning having a donation paid by a foreign person to a UK person before being submitted directly to Reform UK.  Furthermore, Nigel Farage adresses to the son (UK resident) and the father (USA resident) “Thank you, well both of you, thank you.”  To me this sounds very much like Nigel is fully aware that the money is coming from the US father – the foreign ‘donor’.

When interviewed this morning by Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC however, Nigel Farage is claiming innocence and that he hadn’t really understood or agreed anything since he “frankly, wasn’t even listening”.  Farage also stated quite clearly: “I know election law… I know donation law better than anybody”.  Not only is this staggeringly hyperbolic phrase most likely utter drivel (if not wanton lies), but it underlines the man’s total and utter lack of judgement:

• Nigel Farage is currently being investigated concerning donations he received prior to his election as a Member of Parliament (MP)
• Nigel Farage found this sufficiently embarrassing that he decided to resign as an MP and trigger a by-election (in a presumed) attempt to show that his electorate support him no matter whether or not rules had been broken
• Nigel Farage has received a lot of negative press concerning both the by-election and the donations he received
• Reform UK has been negatively affected by this investigation and press coverage

Given all of the above…  Nigel Farage decides to either a) engage in a scheme to allow illegal donations knowingly, or b) not listen whilst a donation scheme is being discussed in which he knows there are foreign players.

The immediate reaction that I have to this, is that irrespective of whether or not the truth lies with option a or option b… the man has zero regard for his electorate, the rules or any other principle linked to holding public office.  He is either a liar or an idiot (possibly both) and either way he is certainly insincere and self-centered, and not someone for whom I would cast my vote.

I say this like it is a surprise, or a revelation: it isn’t – to me at least.  Politics has been moving inexorably this way ever since I was born (and likely long before); the difference now is that such things are much more visible to the general public than they were.  Hence the deepening disappointment for me being the continual lack of rigour with which politicians and political statements like this are treated.

Nigel Farage indicated that the two senior advisers who have been suspended because of this affair (James Orr and Dan Jukes), should never have been involved in the first place.  This may perfectly well explain why the rules were not being followed (by those two men in particular), it does not however explain why Nigel Farage accepted to attend a meeting with a potential donor from those two men.  I mean either James and Dan were part of an acceptable route for donations, in which case they should have been aware of the rules, or they were not, in which case Farage should never have accepted the invitation.

I am utterly sick of not only being fed these pathetic lies by uncaring politicians who feel that they can run rough-shod over the truth and the electorate, but also by journalists who refuse to call out this bullshit when they see it.

Of course the other aspect to all of this is the refusal by politicians to address the corruption integral to any system which allows donations from private parties: be they individuals or companies.  The very fact that individual parties themselves are allowed to ‘solicit’ donations from people opens the door to corruption.  I do not say that it guarantees corruption, I say that it opens the door.  Increased diligence could be introduced even at a very basic level by obliging all donations to all parties to go via a centralised administration office.  I mean sure, let some private UK donor give £500k to Reform UK.. fine, but the money goes through a central government office and the money flow is checked centrally.  Likewise for all free gifts – be they registered or otherwise…

I argue that if politicians really cared about putting a stop to this sort of corruption they could: I conclude therefore that they do not care, because they do nothing other than bleat about how corrupt the others are…