Farage refused taxpayer-funded security because it was ‘inadequate’
Nigel Farage turned down the taxpayer-funded cover, which included a trained driver, car and bodyguard, last year because he deemed it “insufficient”.
The Reform UK leader was offered the package, on the same level as senior Cabinet ministers and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, on the advice of police. based on with i Paper.
But Mr Farage turned down security. In a statement IndependentReform UK said the offer, which came days after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, did not match the threat made against the party leader.
“Reform made the responsible decision to maintain appropriate protection rather than gamble with his life,” the statement said.
The urgency of the rejection came after Reform home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf claimed the state provided “no protection” to Reform MPs following the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe.
Ms Widdecombe, the Reform England spokeswoman, was murdered at her home in Devon last week. Police arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murder and launched a terrorism investigation into his death.
The alleged murder sparked a call for greater measures to protect MPs; Scores of representatives from across the political spectrum voiced their concerns in a House of Commons debate on Monday afternoon.
During the hearing, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she had offered Mr Farage a meeting with the head of the parliamentary body responsible for the safety of politicians because of the party’s concerns about the safety of Reform UK MPs.
Mr Farage later said in a post on X that he had accepted the offer.
i Paper He informed Mr Farage that the package offered was for bodyguards, a car and a trained driver.
Reform UK’s statement said: “Nigel Farage is the most targeted politician in Britain and the only party leader to make a large number of public appearances during the campaign.
“Faced with a government offer that no longer matched the threat to him, Nigel rejected the downgraded and inadequate package and Reform took the responsible decision to maintain appropriate protection rather than gamble with his life.”
Reform said it would provide MPs with 24-hour security following Ms Widdecombe’s death.
