Nigel Farage is no stranger to expressing his ire at what he regards as the liberal establishment, but even figures close to him were surprised at the tirade of anger he unleashed upon the editor of the Times.
The exchange, which is said to have included an expletive aimed at Tony Gallagher, was triggered by the Reform UK leader’s outrage that the paper was planning to run a story about his houses, which he said endangered his family.
A source with knowledge of the encounter said it ended in “a strong confrontation”.
It is a fragile moment for Reform’s relationship with Britain’s rightwing media, whose coverage of Farage and his byelection gamble has taken a negative turn since questions were raised about his funding and finances.
Coverage by the Times and the Sun, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK stable, as well as the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, has made for tough reading for Reform in recent days.
While the Telegraph has given column inches to party figures to air their grievances at the media, recent stories have also described Farage’s decision to subject himself to a “people versus the establishment” byelection in Clacton as a “summer gamble” and a farce.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch appeared in its pages stating the Conservative party “is for serious people, not a retirement home for failed politicians” – a jibe at Reform’s collection of Tory defectors.
- By Tubby Isaacs
- By Oboogie