Nigel Farage has shown “righteous anger” in the face of press investigations into donations he has received, according to the vice president of Reform UK’s Christian Fellowship.
Dan Barker told Premier Christian News that the party leader’s decision to resign and trigger a by-election is in response to a “witch hunt against him by the establishment, the other political parties and the mainstream media”.
The party board member agreed with Farage’s criticism of Sky News, accusing its journalists of “hounding” his daughter at a home he owns. The broadcaster disputes this version of events, stating a journalist approached the property off camera and left after the occupant refused to engage.
Farage has been under parliamentary investigation since May, over an undeclared £5m gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire given before he became an MP. He is facing further scrutiny over benefits given by a convicted fraudster. Rules state members must declare “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months prior to their election.
'Intrusion' into family life
Barker said that Farage has acted in “good faith” over the donations, believing they were given to fund security rather than for political reasons.
He would be “incensed” if he was in the leader’s position and a journalist “intruded” into his daughter’s privacy stating that Farage’s anger during his statement was “righteous anger” against Sky and the establishment.
Stephen Reed, deputy leader at Reform UK-led Derbyshire County Council, told Premier he agreed that the “establishment had been out to get Nigel”.
“I think he's a proud father, and he's a protective father. Most people I know in politics, and everyone I know in Reform, they're not doing this because they want to be career politicians. They're doing this because they believe it's the last chance to save the country, they're doing it because we believe in the Judeo-Christian values this country was founded on.
“I've got five kids. I'm not doing this because I want a career in politics, I'm doing this because I want my kids to have a safe, prosperous country to grow up in. I would be as fired up as Nigel if someone did that to my kids”, he added.
Reed urged Christians to respond to a climate where politicians need round-the-clock security “by loving your neighbour and being able to agree to disagree”.
“We have more in common than we have apart. We need to get rid of diversity, equity, inclusion, because we focus on everyone's differences. We need to focus on what unites us. That’s what we need to do in government, at every level of society, and as Christians, we need to do that in our daily lives”, he added.
Opposition view
David Taylor, church engagement officer at the Conservative Christian Fellowship, shared with Premier his belief that the by-election is “an attempt to distract” from questions about the donations.
He agreed that Farage was facing an intense level of scrutiny but that he “submits himself to more time in the spotlight than any politician we've seen for a generation".
“The scrutiny he's receiving around his finances and his campaigning is quite equal to the spotlight that he gives himself and the time that he gets, but it is not right for the press and for people to go out and hound his family, your family are always off limits on that.”
“We need to pray for those in leadership, and for peace. Let's soften the hearts of these members of parliament. Whether you're reading Matthew, whether you're reading Luke, whether you're reading Romans, we're told to love our enemies. We don't repay evil with evil. We're supposed to love them, no matter what they do. So, let's pray for that peace and that love in our political class, that no matter how much they're under attack, they then don't turn this into something personal and cause harm to others”, he advised.
David Lammy, Labour’s deputy prime minister and Christian, told the House of Commons that Farage was “up to his neck in sleaze”.
Tim Farron, Lib Dem MP and host of Premier’s A Mucky Business podcast, posted on X: “If [Farage has] broken the rules, how does him costing the taxpayer a load of cash in a pointless by-election, make any difference at all? Apart from being a pretty transparent and desperate attempt to distract attention… which is obviously the reason.”