Parliamentary rules and investigation process

How does a banana trigger a CIA backed coup Do AirPods herald the arrival of a new global order What do LED lights say about the future of humanity I'mt Conway, and in each episode of my new podcast, Stuff Matters, I take an object, crack it open, and reveal the world shaping forces hidden inside. This is economics told through the things we think we understand. Search Stuff Matters on your podcast app to listen and follow Sky News, The full story first Hi everyone, Neil here at host of This is why I look plenty of politics around the best of times these days, but I make no apologies for returning to it. Again, we had thought we would be focusing on Prince Harry and his case against the mail newspapers. We may all pick up on that a little later on in the week. but Nigel Farage has been in and out of the papers in recent times mostly because of questions around his financial A number of accusations have been made, all of which have been denied by the reform partarty leader, but they in essence go into two parts. One, about a five million pound donation that was made by a crypto billionaire. The other assistance that has been provided to him finanally and otherwise by someone called George Cotl, a friend of Nigel Franch. Parliamentary standards are now investigating so When we all saw a tweet on the platform X from Nigel Ferar saying he would be making a statement at two o'clock in the afternoon about his future in public life, look everyone was on tentor hooks. Here's what he actually ended up saying. Why should I be judged Today or in history in the future by Sky News A Merl. Why should they be the people that decide my fate. when as I repeat, I've done nothing wrong. I've thought about it hard and I've decided today Today I will resign as a member of Parliament for Clackton on Sa, thereby forcing a by election. So plenty to discuss about those investigations, the by election, Nigel Ferangi's future, and who better to do so than with our chief political correspondent John Cre day of drama in Westminster, we were told that there was going to be a statement coming from Nigel Farage at two o'clock. We are speaking an hour after that. What did we learn Well he said it was going to be about his future in public life. Well his future for the time being is going to be quitting the House of Commons and fighting a by election in his clactton seat, which obviously hopes to win the people versus the establishment he suggesting it's going to be. It's a gamble of course. What we've heard from mister Farraage is a twenty minute diatribe where he laid into the media, the establishment and his political opponents to a certain extent as well. But it was very much Nigel versus the establishment. He talked about foul means being used against him by his political opponents and by the media. He singled out the Sunday Times It's the latest stories about George Cottrell. Now George Cottrell is a thirty two year old convicted money lauerer in the United States who has joined the long list of people bankrolling Nigel Farage. He hit out at those stories. They of course follow the stories about Christopher Harborne who gave him million pounds He likened that to winning the lotstery. Now mister Farage has hit out also the investigation in Parliament against him. and he revealed he said despite the fact that many of the things that were written in the article, that's the George Cotrell article were wholly inaccurate, yet another standards investigation is underway So there's one into the Harbourne donation and now there's another one into the George Cottrell allegations. Now he insisted throughout his twenty minute speech directly to a camera, what looked like a reform HQ in Westminster. He insisted he'd done nothing wrong. He'd not broken the law. It was an angry speech. He said he was more angry than he'd ever been. and then at the end of course, he announced what many of us thought he probably was going to announce that he was going to quit his seat in Parliament for now. So In a summer when we have been denied a contest for the leadership of the Labour Party, we're now going to be treated to a summer by election in Clackton on Sea. It's a massive gamble by mister Farraage. He is, however, very confident that he's going to win and his fight will be. I'm taking on the establishments in the political class and also the media as well In fair a statement is that for mister Farage to make that he is taking on the establishment by resigning, standing in a constituency in which he won a thumping majority at the last general election, and relying on the judgment of the voters of Clackton who have already voted for him in great numbers rather than the judgment of the Parliamentary standards commommissioner whose investigations have now been suspended Well, first of all, let's just look at the results in Clackton in twenty twenty four. He had a majority of around about eight and a fivealf thousand and he got a big percentage of the votes. Now Neil, you mentioned that standards investigation Mr. Farage's announcement looks like an attempt to frustrate the work of the Stards Commissioner and indeed the Standards Committee of MPs if it gets to that. But I'm not convinced he's going to be successful in frustrating that inquiry because I've got the rules here, Neil. Now the crucial paragraph in the rules about investigations by the Standards Commissioner is paragraph forty and it says this If Parliament is dissolved or the member otherwise ceases to be a member, which is what's going to happen with Mr Farage, while an investigation is in progress, the Commissioner will suspend the investigation until the member is re elected If the members not return to Parliament, the Commissioner will decide if it's appropriate and proportionate to resume their investigation. So in other words There's nothing to stop the investigation being suspended whilst the by election takes place and then reopened if mister Farraage is re elected. In terms of the allegations that have been made against Nigel Farj, we should point out, as he mentioned in his statement, I've done nothing wrong, I've not broken the law, I've not misuseed public funds, but that doesn't mean they has't broken paramentary rules. What is so significant about the accusations being made about him that a rich friend provided accommodation and assistance with staff and that there was a sizable donation made to him in a private capacity that was not tied to any sort of political activity. What is wrong with that if you see anything wrong with it at all But you just said not connected to any political activity. The fact is that mrter Harbourne was a crypto millionaire, or whatever you like to call it. Nigel Farage has been talking about that issue. We now know that he lobbied the governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey on that subject. This idea that Mister Harbourne is just a friend doesn't really bear scrutiny at all. I've quoted one rule already. I'll quote another one that's sometimes called the Boris Johnson rule, because Boris Johnson used it in one of his many scrapes with the parliamentary authorities If you get a big gift, whether it's a free holiday or a financial donation or whatever from somebody who is just a friend, That's fine. If however, you get a big gift, a holiday, any other payment in kind or a financial donation from somebody who is a party donor and mister Harborne is a massive party donor to reform, then the rules say you should declare it. So the claim that it's all perfectly innocent it's just like a lottery winner, as mister Farage put it in his statement doesn't really bear scrutiny because mister Harboard is a party donor. And clearly, George Cottll has been helping out in political activities. I mean the latest story about George Cottrell, which was in Monday's Times was that he actually had a business card saying Reform UK with Nigel Farage's email address on it So they are linked to his political activities. Now Mrter Farage said in his long statement, it was only during the election campaign or just before it that I decided I was going to be a candidate But of course, the idea that Mis. Farage wasn't really involved in politics, okay. I think he was something like honorary president before he came back as leader. But really, I think most reasonable people looking at the Eter nations would probably say, comeome on, Nigel, you really should have declared that. This is the problem. the secrecy, the fact he kept changing his story And also his belligerent. A lot of people will say he's been badly advised. He should have just put his hand up and said, Yeahah, I'm sorry. I really should have declared this. So you can question his tactics. He really has gone for the nuclear option, if you like, with this by election strategy. It's a gamble. Yes, he's favourite to win the by election But he really is declaring war on not just his opponents, but the media as well, rather than hold his hands up and say, lookook, I'm sorry, I should have declared it I was going to ask you, does anyone care? I mean, clearly plenty of people care about this, but Nigel Farage does not have to please all of the people all of the time. He doesn't even have to please know majority of the people in the seat in Cecton, he just needs to persuade reform voters. And when you look at the data, are we seeing any sign that these repeated stories, and there' been a ton of them now about Nigel Farage and his financial dealings and his financial probty, do we see any evidence that it's shifting the dial The latest opinion poll he talked a lot about the opinion polls in the early parts of his statement show reform still ahead, but with the Cervatives and Labour closing the gap slightly The die hard reform UK supporters and voters will take the view. We'll say, yes, Nigel doesn't have to declare it. They're all lefties. is base, which is probably around about twenty five percent We don't care about all these allegations. We at Sky News have talked to voters in Clackton. and the majority of it has to be said back him. I mean it's a constituency, I have to say, with a fairly elderly population. It's a constituency that doesn't have that many graduates compared with other seats. That's why he chose Clackton because it's the best possible seat for him to fight at the general election And so it proved. however All this talk And links particularly with a convicted money launderer, that doesn't look good. And the fear that some inside reform have is that it frightens off some Tories who are thinking, I might vote for mister Farraage. Oh, hold on. Isn't he close to a convicted money launderer and oh a bit worried about all these donations and perhaps The fact that he was backing a crypto millionaire and lobbying for that type of investment, all that sort of stuff. So yes, it's damaging. His die hard supporters don't care, but those who are perhaps just thinking about voting Reform UK and wavering a bit might be a bit put off by all this How does a banana trigger a CIA backed coup Two airPods herald the arrival of a new global order LED lightights say about the future of humanity I'm Ed Conway, and in each episode of my new podcast, Stuff Matters, I take an object, crack it open, and reveal the world shaping forces hidden inside This is economics told through the things we think we understand Search Stuff Matters on your podcast app to listen and follow Coming back to the same question, what on earth does resigning as an MP and standing again in a by election have to do with the allegations that have been made by amongst others, the Sunday Times journalist that you've just mentioned, The detail, the factual detail of which has not been challenged by Mr Farage in the main, the only thing that we are waiting for is a judgment from the parliamentary standards authorities, what does calling this by election have to do with any of that It's a fight back. It is Mr Farraage saying to hell with you lot I'm going to prove that I'm popular. I can bring you actually the reaction from Andy Berham And he has said that this is a gimmick by Mr. Farage designed to distract from serious allegations about his funders. That's the reaction from the soon to be prrime Minister It is a gimmick, it is a stunt. It guarantees him lots of publicity. It guarantees him plenty of opportunities to attack his attackers in the media and his political opponents. What was the alternative? He had to respond somehow. He could have just said, okay, I'll wait for the parliamentary inquiry to complete its work, but no. what he's really done is tried to throw a spanner in the works of that parliamentary investigation and he's come out fighting. he's gone on the attack rather than as I suggested, perhaps' holding his hands up and say Okay, I should have declared it. He's gone on the attack. He's absolutely defiant, unapologetic, unrepentant and insisting he's doing nothing wrong However, we know that the rules suggest that perhaps he should have declared this money and even if he leaves Parliament, the inquiry can be suspended and then reopened again. Now, you're saying why has he done it? Well it's a classic forage stunt, isn't it? Take on the establishment, get publicity, I was quite interested how he talks about how he loved being MP for Clackton and he loved being in Parliament I mean, there are those who say he's not a great fan of Parliament because he doesn't attend to say, for example, as much as his fellow reform UKMPs who are more active in the chamber than he is. But he loves campaigning. Campaigning is what he does best and he obviously thinks campaigning on the stump rallies, that is the best way to defeat his opponents And the people he describes him are using foul means. That was a phrase he used. And on that point, yeah, he absolutely loves campaigning. He also loves complaining. I mean, in that twenty minute address, I'm not sure I've ever heard quite so many mentions of victimhood. He was lashing out at the media for the treatment that he has received. He also talked about the treatment that his family had received. Yes, he talked about how a journalist from Sky News had approached his daughter Now we know that it was part of the broadcasting pool. John, just hold on there because I do have a statement from Sky News. It says this. Nigel Farage has legitimate questions to answer about the gift he accepted from mister Cotrll. Given the clear public interest in this matter, Sky News has been seeking a response from mister Farage and has made reasonable efforts to contact him. We acknowledge that Sky News was part of a broadcast outside a property linked to Mr. Farrange yesterday, we approached the property off camera on a single occasion, identified ourselves and the occupant chose not to engage. Jeorn, just explain exactly what we were doing as part of in Inverted Commas a broadcast pool. A broadcast pool is where we Sky News, BBC, ITV Channel four News and even GB News, it' Mr. Ferage's channel where he's a presenter. Instead of sending five or six reporters to interview someone or attempt to get an interview, there's a rotor. And so we will I don't know, for example, do Monday, someone else do Tuesday, someone else do Wednesday, whatever. That's how it works. It's basically pooling resources That's what it's about. It's a process that's been going on for years and years and years. And as I say, GB News, the channel on which Mr. Farage presents or has been presenting is part of the pool now. So it's an established practice. Now He also during the course of his twenty minute address, talked about various threats he'd faced. I'm going leap in at this point, John, because this is something that he has said on a number of occasions, and it's really rankled with me that he claims to be the kind of the most attacked MP. There are families of two MPs I think I could probably mention immediately that might take issue with that Yes, he has been attacked, but you mentioned Joe Cox, the Labor MP and Sir David Ames, the Conservatives murdered. He talked about a distressing incident when he was surrounded by a mob in a pub which he said he hadn't made public before. And one of his arguments has been that this money's received for mister Cotrel was for security. Now a few weeks ago, he was saying the money for mister Harbourne was for security. So his story has changed. The story has had many iterations, hasn't it, John? But ultimately, the central claim that Nigel Farage makes I have done nothing wrong, I haven't broken the law. I haven't misused public funds. Yeah, and on security, he complained that he got no public help from the authorities, police or government in the run up to becoming an MP. When he became an MP got some help, he said. But then the Labour government cuts seventy percent of the spending on that. Now he has said time and time again that he has to spend an awful lot of money on his personal security. It is unusual. most party leaders do get some protection. The mayor of London, for instance, gets some. I've no doubt Andy Burnham had some when he was mayor of Greater Manchester I think those who are sympathetic to mister Farraage will say it's a fair point. He should be getting a lot more public funding for his protection than he is getting But the fact is he isn't and he has used the security argument as one of the justifications for these big donations Okay, John, so This has all been a classic Nigel Farage day. We're all sitting there waiting to hear from and we saw a tweet telling us, you know, standby for a statement about my future in public life. He knows how to play the media in circumstances such as this. But that does not mean that the questions that are being asked of Nigel Farage are in some way improper. because they're just not. And they're not going to go away either. The tweet you mentioned was about midday two hours before his two PM statement. although I think it started a few minutes late. I must admit in those two hours, Quite a few of us had worked out probably what he was going to announce. He was never going to say I'm quitting politics for good. Absolutely not. Why would you when you're ahead in the polls? And so it looked likely that he was going to fight back against his critics in the best way he could. and this is he will regard as the best way to take them on at the ballot box