Dashboard/Nigel Farage/ITV News interview on resigning as MP to fight a Clacton by-election, the standards investigation and the £5m gift
Interview · 8 Jul 2026

ITV News interview on resigning as MP to fight a Clacton by-election, the standards investigation and the £5m gift

Nigel Farage, Leader of Reform UK; resigned as MP for Clacton to fight a by-election

Video: YouTube: ITV News (official channel). Retrieved 9 Oct 2026.

No BS Index for this transcript
Only 8 rated questions; a transcript needs 15 for a number. Claims that held up: 72% of 9 checked (Bluff 13.9 of 50). Its claims still count towards the overall score.
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The words of Nigel Farage. Transcript from the video's captions, fetched on 2026-10-09; not an official record. Captions do not say who is speaking: Polifiles assigned each turn by reading the captions, without checking the audio. ITV News' upload of a News at Ten segment (about 10 minutes). The opening report from Clacton (with clips of the interview and of voters) and a correspondent's explainer on the £5m gift (with an older clip of Nigel Farage) are left out; the item is the longer cut of the interview that follows, from the first question to his last answer. The interviewer is named from the report's sign-off in the captions ("Carl Den News at 10", that is Carl Dinnen), who introduces the interview as his own ("Today I asked him why"). One speaker change is assigned by meaning, not by the '>>' mark: the mark falls after "The" in his answer "The standards process can do what it wants." Trimmed: starts at "Um, first of all, Nigel, why are you doing this now"; ends at "which means I'll never have to worry about it.". Questions are shown in grey boxes. Tap a marked sentence to see the label and its sources. Other speakers' full contributions are in the video.

Carl Dinnen
Um, first of all, Nigel, why are you doing this now when the standards investigation could very well trigger another bi-election and for that one people would have the full facts?

No, there were no no more facts at all. The standards decision will be a purely subjective decision. Let's be clear. I've broken no laws. I'm not in trouble with the tax man.

I've not abused public money. I've claimed zero expenses personally as an MP since I was elected. I absolutely insist that what happened from 2021 to 2024 had nothing to do with party politics or politics per se. Yeah, sure. I was an influencer.

I was a broadcaster. I was doing all those things. And you know, you know, the standards rules are very clear. They're there to regulate your public life and not your private life. I insist what I did was part of my private life before getting into politics.

I took strong legal advice on it. And the problem with standards is this could run for months and months. And kind of almost every day there's a new crazy story appearing in the press that I've done this, I've done that. I'm being painted out to be dishonest. I'm being painted out to be a crook.

Um, and and frankly, you know, there is a pylon, a massive political pylon against me. It leaves me politically in paralysis, and this is a way of breaking that. So, look, I say to the people here, do you trust me? Do you believe me or don't you?

AnsweredAsked why he called the by-election now, when the standards investigation could lead to another one with the full facts known. Disputes that more facts would emerge and gives his reasons: the process could run for months, daily stories and 'paralysis'.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
But the people here aren't getting to see what the standards commissioner in Parliament thinks of whether or not you broke the rules. And don't they deserve to know what that system thinks as well?

They are just as qualified to make that judgment as anybody in Westminster.

Partly answeredAsked whether voters deserve to know what the Standards Commissioner thinks. Says voters are as qualified to judge as anyone in Westminster, without saying whether they should wait for the finding.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
Oh, come on. They're not. They don't know what the rules in all the ins and outs of the rules in Westminster.

The rules are very simple. Either you judge it to be a political donation or a purely private gift. That's what this comes down to. I'm certain in my mind I've done nothing wrong. But now I'm being accused of all sorts of things going back to 2023.

AnsweredTold voters do not know the ins and outs of the rules. Disputes this: the rules are simple, the money was either a political donation or a private gift.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
You seem to be saying that if people here vote for you in this bi-election, then that overrides anything the standards commissioner finds in Westminster, that his investigation doesn't matter.

I don't think I don't think that the two big political passes and mainstream media in Westminster are fit to be my they are judging me before standards. I'm being judged as being guilty every single day by newspapers, broadcasters, and elsewhere. I will happily accept the judgment of these voters.

Partly answeredPut to him that a win would override the Commissioner's investigation. Says he is judged guilty daily by parties and media and will accept the voters' judgement, without saying whether the investigation matters.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
And what about the standards process? Are you saying the standards process doesn't matter if these voters vote for you?

The standards process can do what it wants.

Partly answeredAsked whether the standards process does not matter if voters back him. Replies only that the process 'can do what it wants'.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
That sounds like a yes. It sounds like you don't care what it says.

The standards process can do what it wants. I want a big endorsement. Look, we are with the first party for 100 years that has challenged the existing status quo in Westminster. I have a strong feeling that everyone's working together to try and get us out of the game. I need that public support.

I need that endorsement. I need that trust.

DodgedTold that sounds like a yes and that he does not care what it says. Repeats the line, then turns to wanting an endorsement and everyone working to get Reform 'out of the game', without saying whether he cares about the finding.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
Um just a couple more questions. I mean, you could end up in a situation where there is another bi-election here. Doesn't it that plus the fact that you're only facing binface at the moment? Doesn't that make the whole thing

I think two points there. Very unlikely there been another bi-election. I would have thought I do actually genuinely believe I haven't broken standards rules. But interestingly, interestingly, whatever happens, there will be a genuine election to parliament that will take place with every voter given the opportunity to take part. Labor are running away from it because they don't want a new prime minister to sort of, you know, lose a deposit.

The Conservatives got 30,000 votes in this seat in 2019. They tried to stop the Essex County Council elections. They don't want a general election. They're not contesting in this election. And frankly, I would say to them and the Labour Party, if you don't stand, you are the ones treating voters here with contempt.

AnsweredAsked whether another by-election and facing only Count Binface undermine the contest. Says another by-election is very unlikely and that the main parties are choosing not to stand.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person
Carl Dinnen
And just for the record, because you're in a commanding position in the poll, you could still be the next prime minister of this country. Why did you get that 5 million pound gift? And what have you spent it on?

Well, it was an unconditional gift. I mean, that's absolutely clear legally an unconditional gift. But I know what it's for and I think the donor understood what it was for without putting any conditions on. I have been the most physically attacked politician of modern times. I will need security for the rest of my life.

Between 2021 and 2024, I incurred very very substantial personal bills and when I go to the government for help, uh they give it for a little bit, then they withdraw it. I will need that for the rest of my life. that I'm deeply indebted to Christopher Harborn that I've now got the money which means I'll never have to worry about it.

Partly answeredAsked why he got the £5m gift and what he has spent it on. Says it was an unconditional gift for his lifelong security costs, but does not say what it has been spent on.Our model rated thisNot yet reviewed by a person