Nigel Farage made a sudden return to the political stage on Wednesday after nearly 50 days of avoiding public scrutiny, but the Reform UK leader faced no questions about the £5m personal gift he received from a crypto billionaire.
Farage has been largely absent from television studios and press conferences since the donation was revealed seven weeks ago. He gave a handful of interviews to selected outlets, claiming the money was for security, a reward for Brexit, or dismissing the issue as a “waste of time”. He also alleged without evidence that Russian hackers had leaked the information.
The party had not held a single press conference for almost 50 days until Wednesday, when Farage unexpectedly appeared in Makerfield alongside by-election candidate Robert Kenyon. The event was announced with just an hour’s notice, and only select media were invited. The Guardian was turned away and told it could not ask questions without official accreditation.
During the brief appearance, Farage focused on red tape for small businesses and dismissed the rival Restore Britain party as being promoted by Elon Musk on X. Broadcasters instead asked about violence in Belfast and the candidate’s controversial social media posts, leaving the £5m donation unaddressed.
Farage’s absence has cost Reform UK politically, with the party losing ground to the harder-right Restore Britain since strong local election results in May. His sudden return suggests he has been stung by criticism, but avoiding questions on the donation may prove difficult if he remains in the public eye.
