Why is no one talking about Farage's £5 million gift/bribe?

[Firetreev]

The right wing press had kittens about Starmer receiving some free glasses, yet are shtum about Farage receiving £5 million in the twelve months prior to him becoming an MP. No one gives someone £5 million pounds. Farage is bought and paid for by a shifty, Thailand based billionaire. Why don't voters and the media care?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/29/revealed-nigel-farage-was-given-undisclosed-5m-by-crypto-billionaire-in-2024?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Does anyone represent working people these days?

his target market seems to be conspiracy theorists

Which is why Restore will inherit Reform’s voters if it disappears.

convicted fraudster

Thought I'd seen that description before;

Robert Jenrick
4d ago
Not surprised that the convicted fraudster, Louise Haigh, is still faking it.
I am, however, surprised that Burnham wants to put her into his cabinet...

Because his supporters would be happy if he had killed their Nan as long as ‘furrinners, sovringteee, English values and culture’.

It's a pathetic comparison

Cottrell, money laundering, fraud, blackmail and extortion.
Haigh, false report to the police after incorrectly telling them her work phone was stolen during a mugging in 2013

Has 'honest Bob' forgotten about the Westferry Printworks?

'Posh George': Who is aristocrat and convicted criminal at heart of Farage controversy?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yzzw5vk8vo

well both can be untrustworthy crooks without comparing tbh. Says a lot about our political class tbh

I'm glad the house of cards is starting to collapse but I do think it would be a mistake not to consider why reform had so much support - dismissing their voters as racist doesn’t win the argument. We can’t expect to live in a society that is told what to think because they will be berated otherwise - we need to convince people because we are confident in our position

George Cottrell, close personal friend of Farage and financial supporter of Reform, has settled in Montenegro.

Christopher Harborne, large-scale financial supporter of Farage, has settled in Thailand, where he adopted a Thai name.

Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform, lives part of the time in Dubai where his partner Isabel Oakeshott has settled.

Yep. They really live their English values and culture, and don't like being surrounded by foreigners and foreign culture – especially not Muslim culture which is anathema to them. They're also really dedicated to protecting the UK's sovereignty from overseas actors.

Uh-huh.

Refotm supporters didn't seem too bothered about Farage's school days racism, or the racism posted by many of their councillors, but sure, not all Reform voters are racist.

It's a pathetic comparison

According to reports, Cottrell was only convicted of one count of wire fraud - offence committed in 2014, aged 20. The other charges were dropped.

Louise Haigh was convicted of fraud - offence committed in 2014, aged 28.

incorrectly telling them

Incorrectly? She pleaded guilty to fraud.

You were not bothered about Jeremy Corbyn's 'Russia links' - his multiple appearances on Russia Today, Seumas Milne, his Director of Communications. Why are you bothered now?

https://bsky.app/profile/philbrickellmp.bsky.social/post/3mpvjb7tx2f2i

"Back in 2016, Cottrell was indicted in the US on 21 counts for crimes including money laundering, fraud and blackmail. He served eight months in prison for wire fraud after being caught in an FBI sting offering his services to undercover agents posing as drug traffickers.

I’m not sure trying to convince anyone that one criminal is better than another is great!

Louise haigh is shameful but that’s for another thread surely

How do you conclude I wasn't bothered by those links?

It makes the mistaken loss of a phone fade into insignificance, doesn’t it?

Mistaken loss is generous. She’s a crook

bit this is all irrelevant to this thread tbh as her being a crook doesn’t change the fact cottrell is a crook

Nevertheless, he was only convicted of a single count of wire fraud;

'he ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a plea deal under which the other charges were dropped. The crime was committed in 2014.'

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/03/george-cottrell-nigel-farage-reform-uk-montenegro

She’s not a crook. Her conviction in 2013 is long since spent.

I think I recognise which poster you are despite a name change.

Nice try, Clav.

Reform denies rules broken by Farage after benefits from ally not declared
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0424end7vo

Cottrell faced 20 years in jail for 21 counts related to money laundering, fraud, blackmail and extortion.
But he eventually brokered a plea deal, admitted guilt to a charge of wire fraud and ended up serving just eight months in prison.
In the plea bargain, Cottrell said: "I falsely claimed that I would launder the criminal proceeds through my bank accounts for a fee."
He claimed that rather than launder the money, he and an associate planned on keeping it themselves.

You do know what a plea deal means? He committed several crimes for which he wasn’t prosecuted.

I don’t believe you should hold your friends to different standards than your foes. But Louise haigh isn’t really relevant to this thread

farages murky dealings are all bubbling to the surface - I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.

That is ok, but that doesn't mean I have ever said that I was not bothered by Corbyn's Russia Today links.

I am surprised at your tireless defence of Farage, I could understand Johnson to an extent but Farage?

She said she pleaded guilty six months before becoming an MP in the 2015 general election, so late 2014/very early 2015 to allow for exaggeration.

Wonder why Murdoch has chosen now to turn on him.