Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed that Nigel Farage is “cracking under the pressure” of media scrutiny.
On Farage’s claim of an Establishment stitch up, she told GB News’ Political Editor Christopher Hope: “How is it a stitch up? He’s the one who called this fake election. This is a fake by-election.
“We will be standing candidates, certainly I will be standing candidates in the real by-election, which will come later after this investigation has concluded. And the reason why I think that there will be a by-election is because he’s doing this to stop people finding out what actually happened.
“Many people were not aware of this fishy £5 million, but people were not aware of an investigation. I think Nigel Farage is facing intense pressure. He’s cracking under the pressure, and this is a hissy fit that he’s thrown.”
She said the £5 million gift should have been declared: “It was just before he became an MP. So you do have to declare that, because that’s money that you could have used to fight an election. And I do understand about the pressures on family, our families feel it the most.
“Just last night, Jeremy Hunt was talking about when he was health secretary, he had helicopters flying over, journalists camped outside the house. The address that was gone to was the address Nigel Farage himself registered for the 2024 election…but the bottom line is that somebody knocked on the door. I’m sure that would have been frustrating, but it does not justify his ranting at the press, shouting at everybody, threatening people.
“We have a free press in this country, even Prince Harry has to deal with a free press. We all have to deal with it. What he should have done was explained why he got £5 million as a gift. He says that he’s just like everybody else, he’s just the bloke down the pub speaking for the everyday person. He’s getting millions of pounds, he’s using the politics to make money by all accounts.
“He needs to answer why a convicted criminal is covering his costs, that George Cottrell story, and what he’s done is actually highlighted that this could have been happening in the background behind the scenes of the standards investigation. Instead, we’re going to be talking about all of these things. I want to be talking about defence.”
She added: “There will be a real by-election on the streets of Clacton, unless Farage is saying that he can’t win against Count Binface. If he can’t beat Count Binface, then there won’t be a second by-election. That’s true, but if he beats Count Binface, then there’ll be a second real by-election, and we will be fighting then.
“Now, I’m not scared of anybody. He’s the one who’s running scared. He stopped having his press conferences once the questions got tough. He had a honeymoon period. I didn’t get a honeymoon period as leader of the opposition. I’ve had to fight every single step of the way, and you know, I don’t run away from questions.
“Andy Burnham is running away from questions, but I want to answer questions because I want people to know what I’m about and what the Conservatives are going to do with the only common sense party right now that’s actually got a plan that that would unite the country, not all this divisive nonsense fighting a by-election against yourself to get the job you already have.”