Up next in 10
James O'Brien and Shelagh Fogarty react as Reform reveals that it wants to launch the 'largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two' to stop small boats.
The party says the plan is in line with international law and that it will both halt small boat arrivals and act as a humanitarian response.
Zia Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman, said: "Britain is being invaded.
"Tory and Labour governments responded with a free ferry service and free hotels".
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#jamesobrien #shelaghfogarty #natashaclark #reformuk #nigelfarage #migration #LBC
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0:00
Natasha Clarke, LBC's political editor, didn't get a question at the Reform UK, quotes, press conference, end quotes, where the unelected bureaucrat Zia Yusuf was strutting his funky stuff
0:10
But this chap did. This chap, I actually know this chap's name because he got into a bit of bother here once when, um, so Raheem Kassam got a question
0:22
I know, it's really upsetting for the mainstream media. And you didn't. We didn't, I know, lots of people didn't, were very upset
0:27
He used to be Farage's consigliere. He was literally on the payroll
0:32
He's a very close advisor of Nigel Farage and does work with him on a regular basis
0:37
He's been with him in Clapton for the past few days, according to his own social media
0:41
But he works for an American media. He doesn't even go here. He works for something called the National Pulse
0:46
So he's giving questions to foreign media and not to hard-working British-based..
0:54
OK, anyway, so what was this all about? Yes, so Reform UK launching their plans today
1:00
They say that this is going to stop illegal migration in the Channel
1:05
by essentially forcing the Royal Navy to take... Yadda yadda yadda, what about the stuff in the Sunday Times yesterday
1:11
OK, I'll skip the small talk. That was the reason why they were having the press conference. He's also been talking utter gibberish about social housing
1:17
but he's been told that this is gibberish on the last 74 times that he's made the same claims about social housing going to immigrants
1:23
and he's obviously not interested in correcting the record, so we won't bother doing it again now
1:30
So yesterday's report in the Sunday Times questions the fact that he decided to return to politics
1:35
when he claims he decided to return to politics. Yes, so there's obviously lots of questions going on
1:40
about reforms, politics and financial discussions about that £5 million from Kravistava Harbourn
1:46
and when it was given to Nigel Farage and under what pretences. Obviously, he has said that he doesn't need to declare that
1:51
there were reports in the Sunday Times yesterday that Nigel Farage struck what they call a secret
1:56
deal to return as the leader of reform months before the general election so therefore would
1:59
undermine their claim that he wasn't thinking about returning to politics at the time that he
2:03
received this gift from Christopher Harbourn. Nigel Farage did respond to these allegations
2:08
at the press conference a little bit earlier today. I had no intention of returning to politics or was
2:14
leader of reform but in the spring of that year I did talk to Richard Tice about what the liabilities
2:20
would be if if I was to come back to that position. And you'd be a bit of a mug, wouldn't you
2:30
To walk into a job and not find out what the potential liabilities were
2:34
And they were substantial. They were substantial. But without Richard the party wouldn't have even survived
2:41
So that was useful for me to know. But it wasn't a deal. It wasn't an
2:47
agreement. It was subject to if I came back. And if you want clarification on this
2:53
that came quite some time after the gift, which is perhaps the important point So he had absolutely no interest in this job but he wanted to find out what the What the financial liabilities were of Reform UK allegedly
3:09
Have you ever done that? What have I said? Absolutely no intention whatsoever of taking a job, but I just want to find out what would happen if I did
3:17
And what the financial agreements might look like for the party. And also just a reminder that it was April of 2024 when Nigel Farage is reported to have got that gift from the Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harbourn
3:30
He told senior figures in reform, according to sources and newspapers, that he would need, quote, a million a year to cover lost earnings if he stood for parliament in the 2024 election
3:39
Now, he didn't make his return to frontline politics until June. So people are saying this is the reason why you did this deal
3:47
because you wanted that extra assurance that you were getting the money that you would
3:52
quotes, need to go forward before you decided to start for election
3:56
Of course, because he thought, I forget who owns GPBs. Is it Paul Marshall or is it one of the others
4:02
Yes, I think you're right. Paul Marshall, who also owns The Spectator. Indeed. So he's paying Farage a ton of money to present
4:08
Which he does declare. Yeah, but he carries on doing it. So Farage thought he'd have to give up that income stream
4:14
in order to go back into politics. So he was, according to those reports, saying to them
4:18
well, you're going to have to fine me a million pounds a year from somewhere else. By complete coincidence, up pops Christopher Harbourn
4:25
with a million pounds a year for a five-year period. But Farage actually carried on getting the other income stream
4:30
from the other billionaire as well. So I hesitate to use words like scam or, in fact, I won't
4:36
because that would be entirely inappropriate. I'm just asking questions. I wonder if the bloke who was paying him knew that he was going to carry on paying
4:43
So he's got it twice now. Yeah, and it's unclear. You know, I think the whole point is he's not declared this money
4:49
He believes that he doesn't. Reform UK have insisted that they've done nothing wrong. They insist that he shouldn't have had to clear this money
4:54
But according to the financial rules, newly elected MPs must register any relevant financial interests and gifts received in the 12 months before their election
5:01
So there is obviously an ongoing investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner
5:05
And speaking of, there's a fresh one that has emerged today. Richard Tice, formerly the leader of a reform party, is now facing his own separate investigation by the parliamentary authorities as well
5:17
I asked Zia Youssef, the shadow... Unelected bureaucrat. Unelected bureaucrat and also the party's shadow affairs, home affairs spokesperson, what he made of that
5:27
Scrutiny on reform is not only expected, it's healthy, right? We've led the vast majority of opinion polls since the general election
5:34
So nobody's concerned, nobody's objecting to scrutiny. but I think that it is vastly disproportionate relative to other parties and what I'd also say is
5:44
clearly standards has been the parliamentary standards has been uh weaponized in some ways
5:50
and look I'll give you some evidence of this just a few days ago some newspapers ran headlines saying
5:55
Mr Tice my friend and colleague Richard Tice was uh being investigated by standards or something and within hours within hours the very same day the commission of Standards threw that out Welcome back Idiot Sheila back Sorry I got a bit distracted there by events in the studio
6:11
That's so unprofessional of me. Thank goodness I wasn't swearing, Sheila. It's 12.58 is the time
6:16
So, hang on a minute. He's, well, I can't keep up with that
6:19
I mean, it's not, would it be fair to say he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer
6:24
that lad? He gave him a ton of money, right? I would never say that. No, but he gave reform a ton of money, and in return he's got a sort of made-up job
6:31
And also he was the treasurer of the party, of course, before. So he would have seen all of the financial liabilities that, of course
6:36
Nigel Farage may or may not have seen before he decided to do a deal that he may or may not have done
6:40
Well, as he said in that clip, he did decide to entertain the prospects of a deal before he came back to politics
6:45
And, of course, as lots of people are pointing out, it's almost like I did it on purpose
6:50
Richard Tice is going out with Isabel Oakeshott, not 30p Lee. well Richard Tyson I don't think was ever going out with 30p Lee
6:57
but 30p Lee is not stepping out with Isabel Oakshark the economic migrant based in Dubai
7:02
at least she was last time I checked so we've got an economic migrant and an unelected bureaucrat
7:07
all in the sort of top tier of Nigel Farage's party exactly no questions for LBC today
7:13
right and you didn't get a question but the bloke that used to run Breitbart
7:17
before becoming Nigel Farage's personal advisor and conciliar he got a question
7:20
must be doing something that I'm not yeah off the top of your head
7:25
how many investigations are now underway from all agencies whether police National Crime Agency, Parliamentary Commission
7:32
how many? are we thinking four or five? yeah well that's not an answer
7:36
that's four or five I don't know, I just thought it was worth just putting it out there, we'll do it tomorrow
7:42
you were at the press conference that Reform held this morning tell us what they announced
7:46
in relation to the child crossings yes, obviously this is not a new problem of course it's not
7:51
Andy Burnham has been to visit Dover over the weekend. He has been accused by some of not giving migration much of a thought
7:59
since he's got into number 10. And he's only been in number 10 for two weeks, to be fair
8:03
He's obviously got a lot of other priorities. Nigel Farage, obviously, the Reform Party has long focused on immigration
8:10
He's outlined plans today for the Royal Navy to return small boat migrants to France
8:14
Under this plan, military personnel would accompany migrants back to ports on the other side of the English Channel
8:19
They say they're prepared to override the French if necessary, which, of course, has got quite a lot of backlash
8:25
And people are saying, well, if France won't take them back. Including from the Navy. Including from the Navy, of course
8:29
The parties say these proposals would be the, quote, largest military operation in the Channel since World War II
8:35
Again, not a question that was able to be answered at the press conference. They did say in their booklet of policy announcements today that it would only be, you know, 10 to 20 boats
8:46
So I'm not quite sure what that would look like. But opponents have said this plan is unworkable. The Conservatives say the policy is written on the back of a packet and not credible
8:57
Border force officials and police would be tasked under the reform plan with arresting people in boats before they would be returned to France or Belgium by Royal Navy personnel or Marines Nigel Farage speaking earlier today explained the policy was to stop migrants from making that very dangerous journey and he says to rescue them
9:13
If the Royal Navy is not there to protect this country from invasion
9:19
then frankly, I can't see what its purpose is. We now see a Conservative shadow Home Secretary
9:27
going into the English Channel five years too late and making exactly the same arguments now that I've made for five years
9:36
But remember, in their 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 manifestos, they promised net migration down to tens of thousands a year and shouldn't be believed
9:48
And even since Andy Burnham has become Prime Minister, already 2,000 people have crossed the English Channel
9:55
There is an argument during the rounds in the media that it's okay, it's fine
9:59
the numbers are 40% lower than they were this time last year
10:04
but it only takes one or two Iranian terrorists to come into Britain
10:11
and commit a mass atrocity for this to be a disaster the Australians
10:18
faced all of these problems many years ago they tried offshore processing
10:23
they tried a number of things and in the end what worked was towing the boats back to Indonesia
10:31
And since then, hardly a boat has landed in Australia. It's fair to say that governments of many colours
10:37
have looked at similar ideas. You know, they've been far, you know, right of centre, Home Secretaries in the department
10:42
for many years, Priti Patel, Suella Bravman. They've looked at lots of these options
10:46
and it's fair to say that no government has actually gone to the point of actually taking
10:50
small boat migrants, picking them up, using the Royal Navy, who have again pushed back against these plans
10:55
and essentially the French won't let our police on their beaches. So it would essentially mean
11:00
and they won't let us use the ports either, so it would literally mean essentially leaving people on the beaches
11:06
basically taking them back to where they came from and essentially leaving them to make that journey again
11:10
If the French will not cooperate by arresting them or sort of taking them elsewhere
11:15
then the cycle just continues. So that's the criticism of this plan today
11:19
Separately, of course, Mr Farage, we haven't seen him in public for a little while and I know you've been away
11:24
but we haven't seen him since you've been away. just to confirm no one's seen him at all um he's been it's fair to say keeping just a bit of a
11:31
lower profile um and obviously he's got other activities that he's he's getting on with but
11:35
we do know that he's facing a standards commission probe over his failure to declare a gift from
11:40
christopher harbourn his five million pound gift which he received um in april 2024 he says the
11:45
decision to return to public life was nothing to do with this money he says he did not make his
11:49
decision until months afterwards but yesterday there were reports in the sunday times about a
11:54
deal about the finances of the party in the spring of 2024. So slightly undermining his
12:00
claims that he wasn't thinking about returning to politics at this time. Today, Nigel Farage
12:04
admitted he had asked questions about the party's finances in the spring before he agreed to return
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