Channel 4 undercover re Farage

[Ihateboris]

Oh dear...how's he going to explain this?
Https://www.channel4.com/news/exclusive-nigel-farage-filmed-undercover-celebrating-secret-new-foreign-donations

I prefer "Red" as a nickname here, but no matter.

I will likely talk about his fish later though. I will have a look to see what the commons investigation said. Looks interesting. Could turn up more facts to throw on the fact pile.

Can't we call you Betty?

Did you not watch the expose @Worrall20 ? Black Velvet was mentioned.

And there was no pun to miss. I’m useless at them.

If you are asking if I can be called Betty call me what you want😃

No didn’t watch the expose, will wait to see the what happens.

Up compared to what? Overall small boat arrivals are down compared to the same period in 2025. The big picture is the important thing.

No response on my other posts to you? Very important indeed to get them big picture!

No response, because I disagree that employers always do right by their staff. Having worked in the private sector, I know this just isn't the case. We will not agree; I am far more keen on the social democratic model for running a country whereas you seem to be more the untrammelled capitalist who believes in trickle down economics.

It is offensive that we live in one of the richest countries in the world, and yet people can work full time but still need state support to survive.

So now we are getting there! You have called me a liar, you also say I am a untrammelled capitalist who believes in trickle down economics? You know nothing about me. I did say most business, most!!! Look after their staff. We certainly do. So really what you are saying is you believe that the money tree will fund your social democratic model not private investment? So no we will never agree. Get rid of the chip on your shoulder and try and enjoy life.

Well, that's quite the reaction...

I did not call you a liar. I said you got your numbers wrong, which you did, and wondered why.

The social democratic model works in other countries. It doesn't take a money tree. It takes business well run for profit, constrained by a strong state intent on keeping its people from being exploited. The pay multiplier has mushrooms since the mid 20th century. What is that if not greed? Society needs its basic level jobs to be done. The least we can do is ensure that those in those jobs get the essentials of food, heat, healthcare, education and housing fit for human habitation. Do you not want that, and if not, why not?

You did accuse me of making up lies on a previous post. I know exactly how the social democratic model works. Who starts the businesses? Have you ever put personal collateral in a business? Business in the U.K. are not ran by untrammelled capitalism and I object most strongly to you saying that I work by those standards. Where have I ever said I don’t want people to have a good standard of living? You are now making things up now and why would that be?

I repeat: I have not accused you of making up lies. I pointed out that your numbers were wrong and wondered why that was. If your explanation is that you didn't know/didn't check, fair enough. But if that was it, just admit it.

Who starts businesses in countries run on a social democratic model? People clearly do, but I'm not the expert.

The UK model doesn't work. Too many people work full time and still can't afford to live and have the essentials. The UK model is highly capitalist. The divide between the rich and ordinary workers has only widened. That divide needs to start shrinking. People don't need to be paid £millions a year, especially if they are getting that kind of money in shares, salary and bonuses and not actually investing to build anything new.

If business is serious about treating its workers fairly, why do they support zero hours and fire and rehire?

I don't think I need to go into the concept of corporate welfare, and how the benefits system subsidizes business. And in the UK that usually means private business. I think we all know about that.

This is very close to something I posted on a "small boats" thread. I was responding to a poster who claimed, " The conservatives do not want it stopped because cheap labour", and " Labour do not want it stopped because they want people who vote for freebies". I paraphrase. I say that just in case that poster is also on this thread.

I responded along the lines of, if UK business needs cheap labour , then surely the Reform policies of no immigration etc will push costs up for business, and business will leave. (That combines very well with corporate welfare. The two things are joined at the hip).

The reply to that was basically "business will create the wealth".

So yes. Reform economic policy, as limited as it is (in terms of what they have published), is pure trickledown economics. Therefore, because Reform are promoting trickle down as their economic model, I think it is totally fair to say that anyone defending/ promoting reform, are also promoting trickledown.

The same way, that If I was a labour voter, it is fair to say that I am in favour of a mixed model with more state ownership. That is, Democratic socialism.

Quote " It is offensive that we live in one of the richest countries in the world, and yet people can work full time but still need state support to survive.".

Hard agree, and I want to add observations from the private sector. When a UK factory shuts down and production is moved out, costs go down, but those reductions are near never passed onto the consumer. Those savings go to the shareholders. ( Yes, I know about cheap imports driving costs down).

As a personal observation, I have worked on some projects where big supermarkets are involved. And they are absolutely ruthless on cost. And they are not like this for the consumer, it is for the shareholder. If you are making something and selling it to a big supermarket for $5.05, and we say that supermarket is selling it to the consumer for $15, then that supermarket will want that 5C knocked off. Then more, and more. The consumer however, is still paying $15. The reduction is for the shareholder. Then once they get their 5C, then they want 10C, then another 3C. This continually puts massive downwards pressure on wages for the worker. And even in low cost places, Government need to step in to set/increase minimum wage.

And what do the supermarket buyers so ? They just go somewhere cheaper.

It is a terrible system as it is, for the worker and consumer. AND REFORM WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE.

Hey, I might need to dust my red flag off. Pop it in my pen holder that sits on my desk :-)

Note- I use $ and not GBP because laptop has US keyboard.

Farage and his boat.

Remember this bit from the Mirror

"The Reform UK leader bragged in April that he was the only MP "that has a financial stake in the commercial fishing industry" - revealing he owns a commercial boat with a skipper. But there is no mention of this in his register of interests."

In an interview with GB News, Mr Farage said he was “heavily invested” in fishing. He told the network - which employs him to host a weekday show: “I’m the only member of Parliament that has a financial stake in the commercial fishing industry… I own a commercial fishing boat… I have a skipper who runs that boat.”'

Note the bit in bold. He owns a commercial fishing boat, and has a skipper running it. He said that on GB news, no doubt to show why he is an expert on that industry.

And that led to a complaint.... and here is... the result of the investigation that was kicked off... by what Farage claimed.

Select Committee Report (parliament.uk)

The complaint was - NOT UPHELD

And why was it not upheld?. Paragraph 30 of the summary.

"Having considered this information, I have concluded that the complaint is not upheld. The reason for my decision is that, for the purposes of the Register of Member's Financial Interests, the commercial fishing vessel is an asset of Thorn In The Side Limited and not of Mr Farage personally, despite his comments on GB News. Therefore, it is not a registrable interest."

He exaggerated. For some reason the boat is owned by a company Farage owns, but Farage takes no income from it, makes no money from it... because it is his son that runs the boat.

The company Farage owns that owns the boat is called "Thorn In The Side Limited"

And for those who know about accounts and all that (I don't), here is the public domain companies house link -

THORN IN THE SIDE LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK (company-information.service.gov.uk)

From the last accounts submitted in May 2025, it has an average number of employees of, 1. ONE. So I assume that must be the son ?

Plant and machinery assets of 91660 GBP, Land and buildings 1,319,776 GBP.

There is also a lease in the accounts for a studio. 10k a year. I think that might to used to take photos of the fish ?

You definitely have accused me and I have answered your first point, read previous posts.

You are not an expert, your words, yet you know that the U.K. model does not
work? Private sector business in the U.K. follows extensive government guidelines, maybe educate yourself with them all. The price of Gas, electricity, water, transport, bus and train tickets and labour are controlled by the state.

You have judged me on nothing but your own nasty made up assumptions, so no I will not be conversing with you any further.

Quote " The price of Gas, electricity, water, transport, bus and train tickets and labour are controlled by the state."

No. Some things are capped. But if you recall, then the utilities were sold off in the past, the premise was that competition would drive prices down, and it would all be cheaper. Gas and electricity are difficult, because of the way gas is bought, but lets look at trains.

The private companies cut costs. There was accidents, so the rail infrastructure was brought back into government. Because private rail would not/could not pay.

But government still has to subsidize rail, because it is expensive. But the rail companies still pay a dividend to their shareholders. And from memory, that dividend, is usually about as the same as the government pays them. as subsidies.

It's daft. The customer buys tickets. The government pay for the rails, and they pay the train companies subsidies, and huge wads of cash goes to the shareholders, who really do nothing. Except they put give the train companies to buy trains... but they expect more money back.

But now the government are finally saying that is daft, and are taking back the rail companies.

And water is the same. Public services are being run for profit. And there is only one group paying. Customers... and taxpayers... who are the same group of people.

" The price of Gas, electricity, water, transport, bus and train tickets and labour are controlled by the state."

This is clearly not the case or utility companies wouldn’t be battling each other for customers, petrol would cost the same in every filling station and everyone would be paid the same.

@Worrall20

Here is a thought experiment I done.

I travelled on a city bus in China. And it was a flat fare of 20 pence. Get on the bus, pay 20p no matter how many stops. Changes busses, another 20p.

And I got thinking, where does that 20p go?

The buses were all made by BYD. And at that time, BYD 40% owned by Buffet. So that means Buffet got my 20p. Then add in the driver, cleaners, maintenance etc, and they are all employed by the state owned bus company. But maybe the bus company makes a loss. So the guv subsidizes it. And that is no problem. Because the passengers on the bus are workers going to work (many of them), or they are going to the shops to spend money. All adding to the GDP. And in all that, the only part of the 20p not paying for a function, was the bit going to Buffet. And we can say that is lost money to the system.

Compare that to the UK. Private bus company. A different private cleaning company, a different private maintenance company. And the bus company might be using a private HR company, a private recruitment company, private training company. Now that 20p looks totally different. Because now almost every part of each needed function has money going to shareholders.

The shareholders are bleeding the UK bus passenger dry. And the Government, the taxpayer, still has to pay the bus company subsidies.

It is crazy. And Reform want to make it worse.

Farage want's to flog off as much as he can to his mates. Including, apparently, the NHS.

I am on the verge of waving my red flag :-)

Go for it!

Meanwhile the number of small boat arrivals is still down, and zero hours only contracts and fire and rehire are still unethical business practices that hit workers hardest.

@pointythings

Meanwhile the number of small boat arrivals is still down

Is that in any part due to crossings in the Mediterranean Sea are down too? ie,

fewer Mediterranean crossings equals fewer people entering the EU.

Fewer people entering the EU equals fewer people arriving in Calais.

Fewer people arriving in Calais equals fewer boat arrivals in the UK

Down is still down. By 42% in this instance.

Think you will find they are controlled by the state: OFWAT set price limits, monitor performance and supposedly enforce rules. OFGEM sets the price cap every 3 months.

Could very well be.

I suppose it can be seen as like plugging holes in a colander. You are maybe just looking at one hole, pointing at it, and yelling " LOOK AT THAT HOLE".

Meanwhile, the people who are looking at the whole colander, are identifying the holes that are easiest filled, or made smaller.

Maybe not a colander. Lets say a network of pipes. close a valve somewhere else, and you get less flow at your tap.

OFWAT AND OFGEM state regulates price limits? Bus concessions? Rail concessions? You do not have to tell me how public services work I am totally aware thank you. Also just another point I wish to clarify fire and re hire is currently legal in the U.K. although the practise will still be legal, but with stricter rules, when the Employment Act 2025, comes in 2027. Some posters, on this thread, who have no business acumen but accuse others, of unscrupulous unsuccessful practices, when they don’t even know them. It isquite disgraceful really but think personally think maybe they under achieved in life and have no aspirations. That is not directed at you ‘Red’. FYI I am also a customer and a taxpayer?

Quite the derailment going on.

I realise there are no other updates on the investigations.

Have no idea about bus fare in China as we don’t use public transport when we visit.

Think you maybe on a bit of a conspiracy there Red. Never read anywhere that Farage wants to sell off the NHS, in fact just a point, Burnham signed off the privatisation of Hinchingbrooke Hospital when he was health secretary.