‘I am the one particular person within the senior administration crew of Reform who’s ever even met him,’ the Reform UK chief falsely claimed when requested about Nathan Gill
Nigel Farage has falsely claimed he’s the one present senior determine in Reform to have ever met Nathan Gill, the social gathering’s disgraced former chief in Wales. It comes after Gill admitted eight fees of taking bribes to talk in favour of Russia when he was a Ukip and Brexit Social gathering member of the European Parliament (MEP).
Farage – who led each of these events – informed the BBC on Friday: “I am the one particular person within the senior administration crew of Reform who’s ever even met him.” However in reality Reform’s present deputy chief Richard Tice and chairman David Bull each frolicked with the Anglesey-based politician, who was an MEP for Wales between 2014 and 2020.
Earlier than his publicity as a Russian asset, Gill was effusively praised by Tice at a Brexit Social gathering occasion in 2019. Introducing Gill to the stage, Tice mentioned: “Your first speaker is well-known to you. He is been an MEP for the final 5 years. He is additionally earlier than that been a really profitable entrepreneur who employed over 200 folks.”
Tice was chief of Reform when he posted on social media an image of himself smiling subsequent to Gill outdoors the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. The submit, from April 2021, learn: “Nice to be with Nathan Gill, chief of Reform UK Wales, campaigning right this moment. Wales must reopen, by no means lockdown once more and concentrate on slicing taxes…”
In 2019 Gill filmed himself welcoming newly-elected Brexit Social gathering colleagues to the European Parliament – together with David Bull, who on the time was MEP for North West England and is now chairman of Reform. Bull could possibly be seen smiling, puffing out his cheeks and saying “it is overwhelming” as Gill filmed his response to the parliament’s Strasbourg headquarters.
Gill and Bull have been amongst a delegation of MEPs who visited Indian-administered Kashmir in 2019, alongside fellow Brexit Social gathering members Alexandra Phillips and James Wells. The go to was controversial as Kashmir’s opposition events had been barred from fact-finding missions since India withdrew the area’s semi-autonomous standing.
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster chief Liz Saville Roberts mentioned: “Nigel Farage has been caught mendacity once more. His personal deputy, Richard Tice, stood alongside Nathan Gill and heaped reward on him – the previous Reform chief in Wales who has now admitted taking Russian bribes.
“It’s one more instance of Farage saying no matter fits him within the second, irrespective of the details.”
And a Welsh Labour spokesperson mentioned: “Nigel Farage and Reform UK as a celebration nonetheless have severe inquiries to reply about what they knew about Nathan Gill’s actions whereas he was taking Russian bribes.
“They’re taking part in down the function Nathan Gill had within the social gathering, not simply in Wales, however within the management crew. The folks of Wales should know the reality.”
Farage’s false assertion got here when he was being interviewed at a marketing campaign occasion for Reform’s candidate within the upcoming Senedd by-election for Caerphilly, Llŷr Powell, who himself was a constituency caseworker for Gill.
After we spoke to Farage throughout his go to to Caerphilly we requested why Zia Yusuf, a senior determine in Reform, had been downplaying considerations that Farage had been filmed with Gill on quite a few events.
“No matter that footage is, Nigel meets tens of hundreds of individuals on an annual foundation,” Yusuf had mentioned in a Query Time look the night time earlier than.
The truth is, Farage appointed Gill because the Welsh chief of his then-party, Ukip, in 2014, and two years later mentioned: “I’ve labored intently with Nathan Gill as chief of Ukip Wales. I’ve all the time discovered him to be hard-working, trustworthy, and dependable. His elimination after a profitable Welsh Meeting election marketing campaign is unjust and an act of deep ingratitude.”
After we learn these quotes to Farage, he mentioned: “Have you ever ever been let down by anyone in your life?… It occurs. And I might identified Gill for 20 years, I have been as much as Anglesey, I’ve even seen the place he preached. He was a religious Christian. I imply, discuss clear dwelling, he would not even drink espresso. I am astonished, however there you might be. We are able to all be let down by folks.”
Farage claimed he was “fully unaware” of the pro-Russia statements made by Gill, who accepted the bribes between December 2018 and July 2019.
Gill used a parliamentary speech to defend two TV channels which he claimed have been being handled badly by the Ukrainian state. These channels have been linked to Viktor Medvedchuk – a former pro-Russia politician whose daughter’s godfather is Russian President Vladimir Putin – and have been taken off air in 2021.
Gill accused Ukraine of placing “undue stress” on the TV channels and he additionally appeared on one of many channels to talk in assist of Mr Medvedchuk, who confronted prison proceedings for top treason towards Ukraine.
You possibly can learn our full story on Farage’s go to to Caerphilly, wherein he refused to acknowledge Reform had made deceptive feedback about Ukrainian refugees in Wales.
Reform has been approached for touch upon Farage’s false assertion.
