The Rest Is Politics – Episode 502: How Nigel Farage Gets Away With It (Question Time)

Date: February 19, 2026
Hosts: Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart
Theme: A deep dive into Nigel Farage’s political immunity, scrutiny of his scandals, media complicity, plus discussions on international elections, Munich Security Conference, and the political-scientific disconnect.

Episode Overview

Campbell and Stewart dissect why Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, repeatedly escapes serious consequences for misdeeds and scandals that would ensnare other politicians. They explore Farage’s ties to controversial figures and movements, his potential breaches of law, and the media landscape enabling his rise. The hosts also analyze elections in Thailand and Bangladesh, highlight key moments from the Munich Security Conference, and reflect on the clash between political cycles and scientific imperatives.

I. Farage’s Immunity: Lies, Law-Breaking, and Media Failures

Why does Farage get away with so much?

• Alastair Campbell opens with a litany of Farage’s alleged misbehaviors, including breaches of electoral law, dodgy funding, Russian interference, and ties to convicted criminals.
• Quote [03:01]:
  “Farage gets away with murder... breaches of electoral law, Russian interference, his role in Brexit, foreign funding from billionaires and crypto. Deeply worrying and... authoritarian, Orban MAGA style.” – Alastair Campbell

Media Complicity and Double Standards

• Campbell points to a complicit media, citing lack of scrutiny as endemic.
• “Trump created a media landscape that gives up on proper scrutiny, and I think we're seeing the same develop with Farage. This is a network and Farage is fundamental to that network.” [03:01]

Hypocrisy and Pattern of Deflection

• Numerous examples:
  • Farage’s tax avoidance via company structures
  • False claims about English language proficiency in the UK
  • Inconsistencies admitted or dismissed with “does it really matter?”
• “He just gets away with it again and again and again and again.” – Campbell [03:01]
• Media stories about Farage’s allies (Richard Tice, George Cottrell) are quickly dropped, while similar Labour scandals would never leave the headlines.

“Priced In” Scandals

• Stewart contextualizes Farage’s antics:
  • “People assume that Farage is a bit of a bullshitting rogue and therefore when all this stuff happens, it's sort of rolled into the general picture.” [08:45]
  • The “priced in” phenomenon mirrors Trump: voters expect rule-breaking, so accountability is lost.
• Journalists treat moral failings in “rectitude” politicians (like Starmer) as more newsworthy.

Dangerous Loopholes in Political Finance

• Stewart deep dives into Britain’s lax funding rules, warning of the ease with which foreign (even non-citizen) money could support political campaigns.
• “You don't actually have to be a British citizen to give money, you just have to be on the electoral register or you'll have to have a UK company. So theoretically, Elon Musk could... put £67 million into a campaign through some UK company.” [09:09]

The Bannon/Farage/Johnson Web

• Stewart draws a line from Steve Bannon’s backroom influence on Brexit and the British right to Farage’s rise.
• Revelations of Bannon authoring Johnson’s speeches and the “ecosystem” of polarizing, post-truth politicos.
• Campbell: “Steve Bannon is fundamental, central to this international network of Orban... Trump wants Orban to win the Hungarian election. This is a network and Farage is fundamental to that network.” [12:01]

Who Pays for Farage?

• Hosts raise the Sideline question: Who funds Farage’s trips (e.g., Davos)?
  • His presence sometimes obscured ("plus one", British Iranian businessman); lack of transparency continues.

Media: Failing to Join the Dots

• Campbell’s frustration: “I just wish our bloody media would grow up a bit and start to join a few dots...” [13:41]

II. Solutions: Campaign Finance & Institutional Cleanliness

Urgent Need for Reform

• Stewart: “We need to build the institutions now to protect democracy properly and that means we need to stop non British nationals being able to pour lots of money in.” [14:30]
• Argues for South Australia-style rules and crypto regulations; draws parallels with past (Mandelson’s era) and present.

The “How to Launder Money” Book Launch

• Campbell lampoons Farage’s close associate, George Cottrell:
  • “Imagine... Peter Mandelson wrote a book called how to Launder Money. And... Tony Blair, Gordon Brown... all turn up at the launch.”
  • The Reform crowd does this in real life, then demurs: Oh, it’s just a bit of fun! Provocative normalization of wrongdoing.

III. International Elections: Thailand and Bangladesh

Thailand’s Faltering Democracy

• Rory Stewart summarizes:
  • Both countries once democratic rising stars; now backsliding amid coups, manipulation.
  • In Thailand, the progressive party won urban Bangkok but lost-out outside cities; heavy hints of election manipulation.
  • “The rural-urban divide... massive. In Bangkok, the progressives won every single seat.” – Campbell [21:58]

Bangladesh: Dynasties and Disappointment

• Sheikh Hasina toppled, but reforms limited as another dynasty (Tariq Rahman, BNP) sweeps in.
• “Yes, Sheikh Hasina's gone, but politics have just lurched back to the other great big machine party...” – Stewart [19:49]
• Referendum brought reforms (term limits, judicial power, elected upper house) but future uncertain.

Regional Implications

• Interwoven fates of South Asia/Southeast Asia’s democracies and their economic struggles.
• Tensions between Bangladesh and India now high; implications for regional cricket even cited [26:23].

IV. Munich Security Conference and Transatlantic Wobbles

Standout Session: Arctic Security

• Campbell moved by “the weight” on young leaders like Greenland’s prime minister.
• “Imagine he's a young guy... suddenly thrust into this geopolitical nightmare. He looked very stressed.” [35:13]

Rubio’s Speech: Applause or Gaslighting?

• Rubio’s reassuring tone applauded by many (“sigh of relief”), but Campbell and Stewart see it as gaslighting/coercive control.
  • “She felt that Rubio's speech was like coercive control... all these bad things that I'm doing to you... are for your own good.” – Campbell [35:43]

US Commitment to NATO in Doubt

• Eldridge Colby (US official) refuses to give a yes/no on US defence of Estonia if invaded.
• Stewart: “For Elbridge Colby... to be unable to answer the simplest question in geopolitics is catastrophic.” [40:55]
• They highlight the vital psychological role of unequivocal US commitment to European security.

French Minister Benjamin Haddad’s Rebuke

• Haddad: “It’s pathetic we just look for little words of love from the Americans... But the policy has not changed.” [40:12]

Reflections on Keir Starmer (Positive)

• Stewart recounts Starmer’s quiet, diligent work visiting carers – “no showmanship”, just “thoughtful listening” [44:41].
• Politicians can do quietly good work that rarely gets media attention.

V. Politics vs Science: The Long Term Problem

Hannah Fry (Rest Is Science) asks: Is democracy structurally incapable of grappling with long-term scientific issues?

• Stewart marvels at Fry’s explanations of big numbers and the challenge of conveying scale and timescale.
• Campbell: “Science is about discovery and about testing... In politics, changing your mind is seen as a weakness.” [54:51]
• Both agree democracy’s five-year cycles poorly match 20–50 year scientific threats (climate change, AI, etc.).

VI. Memorable Quotes

• “He just gets away with it again and again and again and again.” – Alastair Campbell [03:01]
• “People assume that Farage is a bit of a bullshitting rogue and therefore when all this stuff happens, it's sort of rolled into the general picture.” – Rory Stewart [08:45]
• “This is a network and Farage is fundamental to that network.” – Campbell [12:01]
• “Priced-in” scandal: “The general pattern of populism, polarization, post truth, strange links.” – Stewart [10:23]
• “You should be worried by Rubio's speech... It was coercive control.” – Campbell [35:43]
• “The fact that the US Deputy Secretary of War... is incapable of saying, clearly, we of course would respond... is catastrophic.” – Stewart [40:12]
• “I just wish our bloody media would grow up a bit and start to join a few dots...” – Campbell [13:41]

VII. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:01] – Campbell’s rant: Farage’s litany of alleged wrongdoing & media failures
• [08:45] – Stewart on the “priced-in” rogue narrative
• [10:09] – Discussion of funding loopholes and foreign influence
• [12:01] – Bannon, Brexit, politics of influence
• [19:20] – Thailand & Bangladesh elections analysis
• [35:13] – Munich Security Conference: Arctic panel & “weight of leadership”
• [35:43] – Rubio’s speech and the “coercive control” analogy
• [40:12] – NATO Article 5 wobbles; US-Europe security
• [44:41] – Stewart’s positive account of Starmer with carers
• [54:51] – Science, politics, and the problem of long-term challenges

VIII. Tone, Style, and Dynamic

• Engaged, sometimes exasperated but dryly humorous (Campbell’s rants especially)
• Deeply informed, referencing past government experience and personal political history
• Willingness to critique “their own side” as well as adversaries
• Preference for principle and evidence over partisanship

IX. Conclusion

This episode cuts through party lines—and media clichés—exposing both structural and cultural reasons why figures like Farage evade accountability. The hosts are rigorous in connecting domestic populism to global trends, emphasizing the need for urgent campaign finance reform and more robust democratic institutions. International segments underscore the interconnectedness of democracy’s fragility, while the science-politics discussion ends the episode with a sobering (yet entertaining) query about democracy’s greatest structural risks.

A must-listen for anyone alert to UK and global politics, media failure, and the future of democracy.