The Burnham Years - Can the new(ish) broom sweep clean?

[egg]

13 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

As much as stating (as a centrist) that Farage is a racist and a racist....

Calling a shovel a shovel isn't a political stance. It's an objective assessment. 

[Sir Ralph]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

Calling a shovel a shovel isn't a political stance. It's an objective assessment. 

It’s not an objective assessment if you don’t have evidence other than accusations. How is his political stance  racist?

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[Sir Ralph]

12 minutes ago, egg said:

That highlights your misunderstanding - no centrist is bang in the middle, and I'm certainly left of centre on some issues and right of centre on others. I'm left of you though, so in your view I can't possibly be a centrist. 

Your analysis of a centrist is accurate. You regularly fall on one side in debates so my opinion is that your self analysis is inaccurate, even if it may help you to feel your views are justified . Someone like @whelkseems to be more of a centrist as he (maybe a she 😂) falls on both sides. He won’t agree with my stance on matters but I still think he is in the middle ground

Edited 1 hour ago by Sir Ralph

[iansums]

3 hours ago, whelk said:

You really come across as a vey bigoted thick cunt.

Nice

[rallyboy]

Two-tier Burnham and his Britain-hating henchmen have been in charge for a couple of hours now and achieved nothing!! 😡

I'm going to be self-indulgently angry about this and mutter something vague about union paymasters - and because I have the memory of a goldfish and I've been radicalised by Facebook, I shall dramatically declare his time in office as the worst ever!! 

 

[Sir Ralph]

3 minutes ago, rallyboy said:

Two-tier Burnham and his Britain-hating henchmen have been in charge for a couple of hours now and achieved nothing!! 😡

I'm going to be self-indulgently angry about this and mutter something vague about union paymasters - and because I have the memory of a goldfish and I've been radicalised by Facebook, I shall dramatically declare his time in office as the worst ever!! 

 

Who said that? Read what’s been said not what you think was said. It might help. Flippin heck one side of this forum have got very excited about protecting AB all because I said that being mayor of Manc is being overstated as his likelihood of being a good pm. Talking of partisan….

Edited 57 minutes ago by Sir Ralph

[iansums]

4 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

Who said that? Read what’s been said not what you think was said. It might help. Flippin heck one side of this forum have got very excited about protecting AB all because I said that being mayor of Manc is being overstated as his likelihood of being a good pm. Talking of partisan….

You made one innocuous and reasonable comment and then there was a massive pile on by ‘centrists’, quite funny really 

[Sir Ralph]

4 minutes ago, iansums said:

You made one innocuous and reasonable comment and then there was a massive pile on by ‘centrists’, quite funny really 

I know it’s as if these “centrists” seem to have an agenda. The words “knickers” and “twist” come to mind. 

Edited 49 minutes ago by Sir Ralph

[whelk]

10 minutes ago, iansums said:

Nice

Gloucester’s bad influence on me. TBF was probably OTT

[Farmer Saint]

45 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

As much as stating (as a centrist) that Farage is a racist and a racist....

Hmmm, nope. Party Vs personal. Try again, what is the relevance?

[Farmer Saint]

48 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

When has farage been found guilty of racism, facism or corruption? Bearing in mind he has had a lot more scrutiny than Burnham over the years because he was heavily scrutinised by the media as the front man of Brexit.

Brexit was a political decision not an illegal action.

Should have been an illegal action. 

Anyway, I've stolen some AI to help you:

 

Nigel Farage has faced widespread criticism and numerous public allegations concerning racist and antisemitic remarks from his schooldays and political career, though he has denied making direct, malicious racial abuse. [1, 2, 3]

School-Days Allegations (Dulwich College)

• Dozens of former classmates and a teacher alleged that as a teenager at Dulwich College in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Farage voiced admiration for fascist figures like Adolf Hitler and Oswald Mosley. [1, 2]

• Former Jewish classmate Peter Ettedgui and others stated that Farage repeatedly taunted minority students with phrases like "Hitler was right" and "gas them," alongside singing offensive parody songs about gas chambers. [1, 2, 3]

• Other contemporaries alleged he used racial slurs (such as "Paki") and told minority pupils to "go back home". [1, 2]

• Farage's Response: Farage stated he has "never directly racially abused anybody," characterizing his teenage behavior as "playground banter" and "offensive things" said nearly 50 years ago without malice, while dismissing some specific allegations as complete fabrications. [1, 2, 3]

Political Rhetoric and Campaigns

• The "Breaking Point" Poster: During the 2016 EU referendum, Leave.EU unveiled a immigration campaign poster featuring a queue of migrants with the caption "Breaking Point," which critics and political opponents widely condemned as xenophobic and designed to stoke racial anxiety. [1]

• Comments on Immigration and Integration: Farage has faced criticism for remarks warning that high immigration risks turning people into "foreigners in your own country" and claiming that certain areas of London have changed so drastically that they no longer feel English. [1, 2]

• Glasgow Video: He drew heavy condemnation from political rivals in late 2025 for releasing a social media video asserting that one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow not speaking English as a first language represented the "cultural smashing of Glasgow". [1]

 

[Farmer Saint]

And some on corruption:

Nigel Farage has not been convicted of any corruption crimes, but he has repeatedly faced major political scandals, police inquiries, and formal investigations regarding transparency, undisclosed financial gifts, and election spending. 

While Farage frequently dismisses these accusations as "establishment hit jobs", critics and political watchdogs argue that his extensive, opaque financial arrangements contradict his "man of the people" image. 

The primary allegations and official investigations into his financial conduct span several key areas: 

1. The Undeclared Crypto Billionaire Gift & Lobbying Allegations (2026)

Farage became the subject of a major parliamentary investigation regarding a massive personal payout: 

The Allegation: He accepted a £5 million unconditional personal gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire and Reform UK donor Christopher Harborne. Farage initially kept the gift secret, arguing it was intended entirely for his lifetime personal security and did not relate to his parliamentary duties. 

The Potential Conflict: Anti-corruption groups reported Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. They pointed out that Harborne is a major investor in the crypto firm Tether. Meanwhile, Farage heavily promoted the crypto sector and personally lobbied the Governor of the Bank of England in late 2025 regarding stablecoin regulations. 

2. Failure to Disclose Benefits from a Convicted Fraudster (2026)

In mid-2026, media investigations exposed a deep financial relationship between Farage and a convicted criminal: 

 

The Allegation: Farage failed to declare extensive financial support provided by George Cottrell (known as "Posh George"), a Reform associate who served prison time in the US for wire fraud and money laundering. 

 

The Details: Cottrell reportedly funded Farage’s private office staff, drivers, security, and transport, and allowed Farage to live in a luxurious five-storey townhouse near Buckingham Palace prior to his election to Parliament. Under the MPs' code of conduct, any personal benefit over £300 received in the year before election must be declared if it relates to political activity. Following these revelations, the campaign group Led By Donkeys referred Farage to Parliament's ethics watchdog.

The Fallout: Facing intense pressure from these overlapping standards inquiries, Farage abruptly resigned his parliamentary seat in Clacton in July 2026 to force a special by-election, a move critics labeled a gamble to dodge parliamentary scrutiny.

3. Arron Banks Funding Scandal (2019)

During his time as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Farage was accused of hiding large-scale personal funding from a major political donor: 

The Allegation: An investigation revealed that Farage failed to disclose £450,000 worth of lavish gifts from Leave.EU co-founder and insurance tycoon Arron Banks.

The Details: The funding paid for a chauffeur-driven car, rent and bills on a £4.4 million Chelsea home, and promotional trips to the United States. The European Parliament launched an investigation into the matter, as MEPs are strictly required to declare such financial interests. 

4. Electoral Malpractice & "Cash for Peerages" Accusations (2019)

Farage and his parties have drawn scrutiny from law enforcement over how they handled elections: 

The Allegation: During the 2019 General Election, the Metropolitan Police Special Inquiry Team launched an assessment into allegations of electoral fraud. Farage claimed the Conservative Party offered peerages (seats in the House of Lords) to senior Brexit Party figures to pressure them into standing down from contesting Tory seats. While Farage framed this as Tory corruption, the entire episode triggered police complaints regarding unlawful electoral inducements. 

Spending Law Violations: Farage has also faced separate institutional accusations of failing to accurately report local campaign and battle bus expenses during general election runs, leading to regulatory challenges over UK election spending laws.

5. Reform UK Opaque Corporate and Banking Concerns

Unlike traditional democratic political parties, Reform UK was structurally set up as a private limited company, meaning Farage and a small group of directors retain absolute financial control. High-street banks have reportedly raised money laundering concerns with the National Crime Agency (NCA) regarding untraceable funds—including a missing £1 million fundraising vehicle—circulating between Farage, his close associates, and major donors. 

[Sir Ralph]

7 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

And some on corruption:

Nigel Farage has not been convicted of any corruption crimes, but he has repeatedly faced major political scandals, police inquiries, and formal investigations regarding transparency, undisclosed financial gifts, and election spending. 

While Farage frequently dismisses these accusations as "establishment hit jobs", critics and political watchdogs argue that his extensive, opaque financial arrangements contradict his "man of the people" image. 

The primary allegations and official investigations into his financial conduct span several key areas: 

1. The Undeclared Crypto Billionaire Gift & Lobbying Allegations (2026)

Farage became the subject of a major parliamentary investigation regarding a massive personal payout: 

The Allegation: He accepted a £5 million unconditional personal gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire and Reform UK donor Christopher Harborne. Farage initially kept the gift secret, arguing it was intended entirely for his lifetime personal security and did not relate to his parliamentary duties. 

The Potential Conflict: Anti-corruption groups reported Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. They pointed out that Harborne is a major investor in the crypto firm Tether. Meanwhile, Farage heavily promoted the crypto sector and personally lobbied the Governor of the Bank of England in late 2025 regarding stablecoin regulations. 

2. Failure to Disclose Benefits from a Convicted Fraudster (2026)

In mid-2026, media investigations exposed a deep financial relationship between Farage and a convicted criminal: 

 

The Allegation: Farage failed to declare extensive financial support provided by George Cottrell (known as "Posh George"), a Reform associate who served prison time in the US for wire fraud and money laundering. 

 

The Details: Cottrell reportedly funded Farage’s private office staff, drivers, security, and transport, and allowed Farage to live in a luxurious five-storey townhouse near Buckingham Palace prior to his election to Parliament. Under the MPs' code of conduct, any personal benefit over £300 received in the year before election must be declared if it relates to political activity. Following these revelations, the campaign group Led By Donkeys referred Farage to Parliament's ethics watchdog.

The Fallout: Facing intense pressure from these overlapping standards inquiries, Farage abruptly resigned his parliamentary seat in Clacton in July 2026 to force a special by-election, a move critics labeled a gamble to dodge parliamentary scrutiny.

3. Arron Banks Funding Scandal (2019)

During his time as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Farage was accused of hiding large-scale personal funding from a major political donor: 

The Allegation: An investigation revealed that Farage failed to disclose £450,000 worth of lavish gifts from Leave.EU co-founder and insurance tycoon Arron Banks.

The Details: The funding paid for a chauffeur-driven car, rent and bills on a £4.4 million Chelsea home, and promotional trips to the United States. The European Parliament launched an investigation into the matter, as MEPs are strictly required to declare such financial interests. 

4. Electoral Malpractice & "Cash for Peerages" Accusations (2019)

Farage and his parties have drawn scrutiny from law enforcement over how they handled elections: 

The Allegation: During the 2019 General Election, the Metropolitan Police Special Inquiry Team launched an assessment into allegations of electoral fraud. Farage claimed the Conservative Party offered peerages (seats in the House of Lords) to senior Brexit Party figures to pressure them into standing down from contesting Tory seats. While Farage framed this as Tory corruption, the entire episode triggered police complaints regarding unlawful electoral inducements. 

Spending Law Violations: Farage has also faced separate institutional accusations of failing to accurately report local campaign and battle bus expenses during general election runs, leading to regulatory challenges over UK election spending laws.

5. Reform UK Opaque Corporate and Banking Concerns

Unlike traditional democratic political parties, Reform UK was structurally set up as a private limited company, meaning Farage and a small group of directors retain absolute financial control. High-street banks have reportedly raised money laundering concerns with the National Crime Agency (NCA) regarding untraceable funds—including a missing £1 million fundraising vehicle—circulating between Farage, his close associates, and major donors. 

I haven’t read it all but only accusations (likely politically motivated) - anyone can make accusations. If found guilty it’s a different matter. At the moment has he been found guilty of any of the things you said. Simple yes or no

Edited 34 minutes ago by Sir Ralph

[Farmer Saint]

9 minutes ago, Sir Ralph said:

I haven’t read it all but only accusations (likely politically motivated) - anyone can make accusations. If found guilty it’s a different matter. At the moment has he been found guilty of any of the things you said. Simple yes or no

Oh ok, that's fine then. I mean, you can say racist stuff and be a racist without being charged and found guilty of it, you are aware of that aren't you?

As an aside, Hitler was never found guilty of killing Jews, so I presume you don't believe he was responsible for that?

Edited 29 minutes ago by Farmer Saint

[Sir Ralph]

7 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Oh ok, that's fine then. I mean, you can say racist stuff and be a racist without being charged and found guilty of it, you are aware of that aren't you?

As an aside, Hitler was never found guilty of killing Jews, so I presume you don't believe he was responsible for that?

I’ll help you - “no”. We wouldn’t want anyone taking a partisan view on here 

 

Edited 23 minutes ago by Sir Ralph

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, Sir Ralph said:

I’ll help you - “no”

No you don't think Hitler was responsible for the killing of 6 million Jews.

That's fucking low, even for you.

[Sir Ralph]

23 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

No you don't think Hitler was responsible for the killing of 6 million Jews.

That's fucking low, even for you.

Stop deflecting and trying that. Frankly embarrassing. 

I’ll help you - The answer to the farage question is “no” he isn’t guilty of those things. Don’t be partisan and answer the simple question i posed.

Edited just now by Sir Ralph