Sky News hits back at Nigel Farage harassment claims

They've released new details

Farage has been in the headlines the last 24 hours after a video emerged of him losing his cool with a Sky News reporter after he was asked about undeclared gifts from convicted criminal George Cottrell.

Farage's reaction to the questions quickly went viral as it became clear that he's feeling a bit hot under the collar with the constant controversies coming his way.

"You tell your bosses, you harass my family anymore, there will be serious consequences," he said.

"That's what your organisation has done this morning, go away."

Farage starts to walk away as the journalist replies: "Was it a mistake to not declare the gifts, sir?"

The Reform leader spins around in a fit of rage saying, "did you not hear me?"

"You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything."

Farage has since continued his claim on X that Sky had repeatedly "hounded" his daughter after he claimed The Times had revealed where he lived.

Both these claims have been denied.

In a post to X, Sky News said: "Farage accused Sky News of 'harassing' his family; Sky News has not contacted anyone from his family about the story."

This ultimately led to Farage giving a speech today in which he resigned as MP for Clacton, although he intends on running in the by-election.

Sky's response

In response to these claims from Farage that Sky News had been "harassing" his daughter, the organisation has since disclosed details around the alleged incident.

They said that reporters approached a property linked to Farage off camera and knocked on the door as part of a broadcast pool operation.

The person who answered was an adult who, they later established, was not Farage's daughter

The journalists identified themselves, but the occupant chose not to engage.

After being informed by a passerby that Farage did not live at the address, they left the area and did not return.

Farage's resignation

This afternoon, Farage gave a lengthy speech in which he took aim at "the establishment", the current government as well as the press.

He also resigned as MP for Clacton, calling a by-election that he intends to run in himself.

In his speech, Farage lamented about the success of Reform UK in recent years, including the local elections and recent rise of popularity in former red and blue areas.

He then went on to blame "the establishment" saying they could not beat Reform fairly.

He went on to say: "Let me be clear, I have not done anything wrong."

"I have not done anything wrong."

He added: "I believe I have absolutely obeyed the rules," and outlined the rules around declarations of parliamentary gifts saying that "making money is not a crime."

Farage went on to talk about giving up his "well paid job" to become a member of European parliament.

Farage then went on to ask "do we want leaders who know how to make money" and "how business works" and criticised the current cabinet on the basis of the economy.

He then said standards investigations have been weaponised against him, saying that he is the "most attacked politician in modern history."

Farage listed a number of threats and incidents which he has faced and claimed to have asked for home secretary "repeatedly for help".

Farage went on to talk about the image of his home which was reportedly published in The Times, which he says as jeopardised the privacy of his daughter.

"Let me be clear, I will not tolerate the harassment of my family."

Speaking about donations, he criticised Labour's 'attempts' to "take their money" describing it as like "living in a communist country".

Why has Farage stepped down as MP for Clacton?

Well, Farage has stepped down for two reason, so he can stand again and so he can fight a by-election on his own terms.

He said in his speech that he intends on standing in the by-election that he called on himself in what he described as a 'people vs the establishment' battle.

He said: "Why should they be the people that decide my fate? When, as I repeat, I have done nothing wrong.

"I thought about it hard and I have decided today I will resign as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a byelection, which should happen, I hope, in short order.

"Now I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment byelection. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire Establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this byelection.

"I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started, and I would say this to you, the voters of Clacton, if I win, you win, because if I lose, they win, and we will never with the two old parties get the type of fundamental change that we need to fix broken Britain."

It seems to suggest that he will indeed be remaining as leader of Reform UK.

The real reason behind his resignation?

Despite Farage billing this as a 'fight against the establishment', the real reason might be more tactical.

With Farage under investigation by Parliament's Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg for his undeclared £5m gift from Christopher Harborne as well as other allegations relating to George Cottrell, there was a possibility that he could have been suspended and led to Commons approving the sanction.

Under the Recall of MPs Act, this would have triggered a recall petition in Clacton.

If 10 per cent of eligible voters signed it, Farage would automatically lose his seat.

By resigning first, Farage is trying to take his fate into his own hands by holding the by-election on his own terms.

This has allowed him to frame this whole situation as Farage and Reform against the establishment, using his earlier claims about infringements of privacy and accusations that the money he has made is 'being taken away from him' in attempts to gain sympathy with the electorate.

He will also be able to fight the by-election on his own timetable and terms without the 'perceived disgrace' that would ensure over being forcibly removed from Commons for breaking parliamentary rules.

However, Farage jumping before he is pushed, suggests that he does not really believe that he would be cleared by the standards commissioners investigation.

Whether or not the constituency of Clacton choose to believe him is another matter with the first poll already being released.

A turbulent leadership

Nigel Farage co-founded Reform UK in 2018 when it was known as the Brexit Party at the time.

In December 2019, the party was rebranded to Reform UK.

In March 2021, Farage stepped down as leader of the party letting Richard Tice take the reins before he returned as leader in 2024 ahead of the last general election.

Despite a slow start, his party has seen notable success, growing rapidly in recent years as the supposed voice of the right.

Massive gains in the recent local elections and a constant vote share higher than any other party, as per the polls, has Reform as favourites ahead of the next, but far away, general election.