Farage’s Claims Against Turkish Barbers
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice used Reform UK’s recently immigration policy launch to express their grave concerns about cash-only barber shops in the UK being “fronts for money laundering and drug money”. And Farage, being Farage, couldn’t resist throwing in a little bit of casual racism when he delighted in the fact that he “found a high street barber that isn’t Turkish!”. The implication was clear; that all Turkish barbers are involved in criminality, they launder money – probably linked to the drug trade – and they don’t pay their taxes.
The Reality of Money Laundering
So, apparently, Farage is concerned about money laundering.
He should be. Money laundering and tax evasion exists. Very probably in some (but by no means all) Turkish barbers – just as it exists in a myriad other small businesses. At the higher end of the scale it involves respectable looking men wearing sharp-cut suits, rather than barbershop aprons. Farage knows this very well.
Farage’s Connections to Financial Scandals
He knows because one of his principal backers, George Cottrell, or ‘Posh George’ as he’s known to his friends, was regularly seen by Farage’s side during his 2016 election campaign. Such was their close relationship that Farage described him as “like a son to me”. Cottrell spent eight months in a US jail for wire fraud. Something that his ‘father’, Nigel, obviously had no issue with. Cottrell has also been accused of laundering cryptocurrency – allegations his lawyers strongly deny. One suspects that the sums involved are of far greater value than the takings of a Turkish barber shop. When asked why he would publicly associate himself with a known felon, Farage explained that “there is a thing called Christian forgiveness. If people get convicted or do something wrong, well, they have another chance in life to go on and prove themselves.” Perhaps if any Turkish barbers are convicted of the cheap accusations that Farage has made, they can just say sorry.
Farage’s Own Financial Misconduct
Closer to home, if Farage is concerned about the improper use of funds, he can cast his mind back to May 2019 when he was put under investigation for failing to declare ₤450,000 in gifts from Arron Banks – who himself was under investigation by the National Crime Agency. Or to June of the same year when the European Anti-Fraud Office referred him for further investigation into the source of the money used to fund his lavish lifestyle. Or perhaps January 2018 when he was docked ₤35,500 for mis-spending EU funds. If Nigel looks up, he’ll notice that he’s throwing his racist stones from the inside of a very large glass house.
Farage’s Anti-Turkish History and Hypocrisy on Immigration
Of course, Nigel Farage and UKIP have a long history of anti-Turkish rhetoric. His Brexit campaign was largely run on the threat of uncontrolled immigration – specifically citing that 77 million Turks would flood the EU if given visas. However, much like his concern for money laundering and tax evasion, Farage’s views on immigration are flexible. In September of last year, Farage was paid ₤40,000 to appear as a keynote speaker at an event run by Nomad Capitalist – a company who specialise in arranging citizenship in third countries and on advising their members on the latest/best tax havens. So anti-immigration Nigel – the man with a French surname, a German wife, German passport-holding children and who refused to deny he also has a non-UK passport himself – is taking money from a company which effectively promotes immigration and tax avoidance.
A Legacy of Hypocrisy
In conclusion, we should be horrified by the blatant hypocrisy and the racial slurs of Nigel Farage. But it’s just one more example of his total and utter lack of morality and decency.
