@annasophiegross.bsky.social
NEW: Reform UK volunteer George Jones who left Farage's campaign in 2024 after undercover reporters showed him calling the Pride flag “degenerate” and suggesting LGBT people are paedophiles has quietly returned to run its Patrons’ Club www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmkM...
Undercover Inside Reform’s Campaign - evidence of homophobia and canvasser's racism
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
youtube.com
Scoop for @financialtimes.com: Robert Jenrick’s wife knew in late 2024 that her husband’s top donor received payments from a US company now at the centre of a police investigation into potentially illegal foreign donations, according to a claim by a US lawyer. as.ft.com/r/24c5822f-0...
Robert Jenrick’s wife knew in 2024 about foreign payments to his top donor, lawyer claimed
Police are investigating the legality of donations to the politician during his Conservative Party leadership bid
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Crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne was granted a lengthy pause in a legal battle because of severe illness, a period in which he gave £12mn to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, court documents show www.ft.com/content/b5b3...
Christopher Harborne suffered serious medical issues while donating £12mn to Reform UK
Thailand-based crypto billionaire paused US lawsuit for nearly a year until January 2026
ft.com
Nigel Farage has shielded himself from public scrutiny in recent weeks, in the wake of revelations about his undeclared £5mn gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024 Farage held 20 press conferences from Jan to April — but just 1 last month w @annasophiegross.bsky.social
Nigel Farage scales back press events amid scrutiny over £5mn gift from crypto investor
Senior figures suggest Reform leader has been working behind the scenes on party strategy
as.ft.com
New for @financialtimes.com: Jenrick’s wife was the lawyer for a donor involved in an illicit funding row - and was told in February 2025 about £37,500 in alleged impermissible donations to her husband With @annasophiegross.bsky.social, edits from @kadhim.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/f86b774e-c...
Robert Jenrick’s wife was lawyer for donor at centre of illicit funding row
Former Tory leadership contender who defected to Reform UK faces renewed scrutiny
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In the same month Nigel Farage bought a £1.4mn house in cash - weeks after he got a £5mn gift from Christopher Harborne for his "security" (h/t @alifortescuenews.bsky.social ), Farage put in an app to rebuild his house in New Romney into a modern three-storey home with a basement conversion
NEW: On the £5mn Harborne gift (which Farage says he didn’t have to declare because it was to cover his security before he became an MP) Farage did declare a donation from George Cottrell in mid-April 2024, which covered his accommodation and travel and “security provision”.
We’ve been working on a series to help you understand Nigel Farage's insurgent party. The first introduces six Reform (or Reform-curious) voters from across the country in the run-up to crucial elections on May 7, showing just how broad the party’s coalition has become. as.ft.com/r/9c1432fe-1...
Who are Reform UK’s voters?
Six Britons tell the FT about what attracts them to Nigel Farage’s populist party, which is ahead in opinion polls
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FT exclusive: “The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech.” via @annasophiegross.bsky.social and colleagues
NEW: Wes Streeting has issued a private ultimatum to pharmaceutical companies to accept the government’s latest offer on drug pricing by Friday or he will publicly end the talks, raising the stakes in negotiations over how much the NHS should pay for treatments. With @hannahkuchler.bsky.social
Wes Streeting issues private ultimatum to pharma groups in NHS pricing talks
UK health secretary has warned sector he will publicly walk away from negotiations if his offer is not accepted
ft.com
NEW: Several councils run by Reform UK have resisted efforts by the party’s Elon Musk-style “Doge” unit to access personal and commercially sensitive data, slowing the progress of the highly controversial cost-cutting drive. www.ft.com/content/2019...
Reform UK’s ‘Doge’ unit battles councils for access to sensitive data
Senior lawyers and data handlers at some councils have so far blocked access to restricted information
ft.com
A supercomputer at Edinburgh university is set to receive £750mn as part of Wednesday’s spending review, reversing a contentious decision to suspend funding made in the early days of Sir Keir Starmer’s government Scoop via @annasophiegross.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/b1e9...
Edinburgh supercomputer to get £750mn in spending review
Funding comes after Labour initially pulled money for the project last July
ft.com
SCOOP: A supercomputer at Edinburgh university is set to receive £750mn as part of Wednesday’s spending review, reversing a contentious decision to suspend funding made in the early days of Sir Keir Starmer’s government. www.ft.com/content/b1e9...
Edinburgh supercomputer to get £750mn in spending review
Funding comes after Labour initially pulled money for the project last July
ft.com
NEW: Ministers are considering a softening of their contentious welfare reforms that could allow up to 200,000 people to keep their disability benefits, as the government seeks to stave off a backbench rebellion.
NEW: England’s drug approval body has resisted pressure from pharmaceutical companies to loosen its process for recommending drugs and is pressing instead for the NHS to speed up the rollout of approved medicines. W/ @hannahkuchler.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/4aa1...
England’s drug approval body resists pharma pressure to loosen processes
Nice urges NHS to speed up distribution of approved medicines, showing economic benefits of efficient rollout
ft.com
This is a great piece by @annasophiegross.bsky.social, who is dead right about Labour's messaging. But it would seem that the economic arrangements that have served politicians - and many voters - well for decades are no longer fit for purpose. But what comes next? on.ft.com/3ReNrRA
Labour must spell out what UK growth will pay for
Focusing on benefits to voters’ wallets would help blunt the threat posed by the likes of Nigel Farage
on.ft.com
NEW: Border security tsar Martin Hewitt told me slashing small boat crossings by half over the next three years would count as a success. He said "there will always be people who seek to move" but denied that cracking down on people smuggling was as futile as the War on Drugs.
UK border security chief aims to cut small boat crossings by half
Martin Hewitt says there is ‘no quick answer’ to problems of irregular migration to Britain
ft.com
NEW: Senior figures around Reform UK have drawn up plans for a think-tank called RESOLUTE 1850 that aims to attract Maga donors from America, according to a 17-slide presentation leaked to me TWO SLIDES BELOW
It was great to chat about welfare, the NHS and whether Keir Starmer has betrayed the left on this episode of Political Fix!
Lucy Fisher@lucyfisher.ft.com · last yr.🎙️ Starmer’s ‘Project Chainsaw’: the NHS, Whitehall & welfare On Political Fix this week, we discuss the PM’s reforms to the health service, civil service and benefits Plus: where does Reform go next? @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @stephenkb.bsky.social & @annasophiegross.bsky.social on the pod 📻🎧
NEW: Elon Musk has expressed an interest in backing an alternative to Reform UK, following a spat that erupted last week between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe, sources tell me 1/5
Very reassuring to see traditional conservatives like Jeb Bush and David Cameron getting their priorities straight in these dangerous times. Oh wait. www.ft.com/content/9fab...
David Cameron joins Jeb Bush’s private equity firm
Former UK prime minister takes up part-time, paid advisory role at ex-Florida governor’s Finback Investment Partners
ft.com
Lord Cameron of Greensill is becoming an adviser to Jeb Bush’s private equity firm Story from @annasophiegross.bsky.social, @cynthiao.bsky.social & @antoinegara.bsky.social on.ft.com/3QMvJVh
David Cameron joins Jeb Bush’s private equity firm
[FREE TO READ] Former UK prime minister takes up part-time, paid advisory role at ex-Florida governor’s Finback Investment Partners
on.ft.com
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID. This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC. What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.Elon Musk: "We will make mistakes. We won't be perfect ... so for example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was ebola prevention."
NEW: Nigel Farage’s personal media company made £1.25mn in profits last year bolstered by his lucrative gig on I'm a Celebrity. The MPs' register of interests shows that Farage has been paid £265,000 for his work presenting on GB News since July, roughly £38,000 a month. www.ft.com/content/42c5...
Nigel Farage’s media company records £1.25mn profit
Reform UK leader’s earnings boosted by reality show appearance in late 2023
ft.com
NEW: Wes Streeting plans to ask employers to invest in vaccinations and medical check-ups for staff as he looks to reduce ballooning government spending on hospital care. Full story : www.ft.com/content/8acd...
Wes Streeting to ask employers to pay for more staff medical checks
UK government wants to boost workplace preventive health measures to cut spending on hospital care
ft.com
NEW: Nigel Farage has given up ownership of Reform UK and created a new structure for his rightwing political outfit, according to corporate filings, as he seeks to professionalise the party ahead of local elections in May. Full story here: www.ft.com/content/527b...
Nigel Farage relinquishes ownership of Reform UK
Existing rightwing political outfit will be taken over by a newly registered business called Reform 2025 Ltd
ft.com
