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PoliticsRobert Jenrick caught on hot mic calling GMB interview a 'waste of time'
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Reform UK Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick was caught on a live hot mic calling his Good Morning Britain interview a 'waste of time' after being grilled about Nigel Farage's undeclared £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The interview, conducted by Ed Balls and Susanna Reid, focused on Farage's failure to register the donation, which Farage claims was a personal security gift. Jenrick, a former Tory who defected to Reform, has been defending Farage across media. After the incident, Jenrick stood by his comment on social media, criticizing Balls and promoting Reform's energy policy to cut bills by £200. The article also notes that Farage quit as MP to trigger a by-election, pausing the parliamentary probe. Related coverage includes another Reform MP, Lee Anderson, clashing over Farage's finances.
Source report
Reform UK MP calls his own TV appearance a "waste of time" while still on air
Robert Jenrick was caught calling his interview with ITV's Good Morning Britain a "waste of time" in an awkward hot mic moment while still on air.
The Reform UK Treasury spokesperson's angry retort came after he had been questioned about the £5 million gift Nigel Farage failed to declare to parliament.
Background on the Farage Donation
Farage received the lump sum from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before he announced his plan to run to be an MP in May 2024.
The Reform leader claims it was not a political donation but a personal gift meant for his security, which is why he did not need to add it to the MPs' register of interest.
Farage called the scrutiny over his finances an "establishment stitch-up" and quit as an MP to trigger a "people versus the establishment" by-election in his Clacton constituency. This forced the parliamentary probe into his undeclared gift to be paused.
Jenrick's Defense and the Hot Mic Incident
Jenrick, a former Tory frontbencher who defected to Reform earlier this year, has been furiously defending Farage across different broadcast channels for weeks, insisting his party leader has done nothing wrong.
But evidently, the Good Morning Britain interview today was a step too far for him.
After the presenters thanked Jenrick for his appearance on the show and started to move onto their next segment, the Reform MP could be heard in the background saying: "Well that was a waste of time."
After an awkward pause, co-host Ed Balls said: "Oh dear. I think it wasn't a waste of time. I think Robert Jenrick gave us very clear answers."
Jenrick's Response
Jenrick replied to the clip online later and stood by his original assessment.
"We've got Ed's useless mates back in government, people are struggling, and he can't be bothered to ask how Reform would do things differently," he said.
"For the record: Reform will cut your energy bills by £200 by cutting VAT and by removing green levies."
New Labour prime minister Andy Burnham has this week announced plans to cut energy bills by £45 by removing VAT.
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Source
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Western
Part of this Story
Nigel Farage faces UK standards watchdog probes over undeclared donations and benefits