Nigel Farage faced intense scrutiny during a tense Good Morning Britain interview on Tuesday, 23 June, where he clashed with hosts Ed Balls and Ranvir Singh over a sexism controversy within his party and a £5,000,000 gift from a billionaire donor.
Sexism Row over Reform UK Candidate
Farage was pressed about comments made by Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon, who stood in the Makerfield by-election. Singh challenged Farage directly after he described Kenyon as "a great bloke, plumber, rugby player, ex-army guy, drinker, one of the lads." She labelled Kenyon "sexist" for remarks that were deemed too offensive to broadcast on the show.
Farage defended Kenyon's comments as "banter" that could be heard in pubs nationwide, but conceded they "in the cold light of day would not look good." However, Balls countered: "Most men do not say that kind of thing about women." Farage later stated he did not approve of the remarks and urged Kenyon to "think very hard" about them, but insisted he "can't force people to apologise."
Pressure over £5 Million Gift
The conversation shifted to a £5,000,000 gift Farage received from a billionaire backer before becoming an MP. He claimed he had "no obligation" to declare it, as it was a "gift" rather than a donation. The money, intended for his security, is now under investigation by the Parliamentary Authority.
When Balls asked if it felt like winning the lottery, Farage replied: "It is in a way." He defended himself by stating: "I am the only MP with zero public expenses. I haven't taken a penny off the taxpayer for any personal expenses since I got elected." Farage argued that the state had consistently refused to provide him with protection despite physical attacks, and the gift would cover security for the rest of his life.
Balls questioned how many people in Clacton had ever received such a gift, to which Farage retorted: "How many Labour voters live in £4,000,000 houses in North London?" He concluded that people in the pub watching the England match "wouldn't care" about the gift.
Farage Admits 'I Can't Win'
Throughout the interview, Farage expressed frustration, saying: "I can't really win here, I've got male and female people criticising me." He acknowledged potential issues with appealing to women voters, but insisted that in the local elections, there was "no problem at all."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.
