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Nigel Farage, the MP for Clacton and leader of the Reform party, has been engaged in a secondary role as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion, a company specializing in gold bullion. This adds to his commitments as a Member of Parliament and a presenter for GB News.
In a podcast episode from November, sponsored by Direct Bullion and hosted by fellow ambassador Rob Moore, Farage discussed his involvement with the company. He stated, “I’ve been doing a bit of promotion for them, a bit of advertising for them, bit of education for them so you know I have an interest in this.”
Farage emphasized his long-standing focus on gold investment, claiming, “For the last five years I’ve been involved with financial markets newsletters, making the argument that you should give gold a serious thought.” He highlighted the investment advantages of gold, including the fact that it is free from capital gains tax and can be included in pension funds. He suggested various storage options for gold, including personal safekeeping or professional storage services.
This podcast appearance is not the only instance where Farage has promoted gold. Direct Bullion further shared a clip of the interview on their YouTube channel, reinforcing his promotion of precious metals.
While Farage’s role with Direct Bullion has not yet appeared in the most recent MPs’ register of interests published on December 9, it is expected that it will be declared soon. MPs are required to disclose any earnings exceeding £300 within 28 days of payment receipt.
In response to inquiries about the delay in declaration, a spokesperson for Farage stated, “Nigel will follow the rules for declarations in the usual way.”
This endorsement of gold contributes to Farage’s substantial earnings, which reportedly reached £177,000 from his role at GB News since July. He also generates income through social media and personalized video messages on platforms like Cameo.
Agustina Oliveri, campaigns director at the Good Law Project, commented on Farage’s multiple roles, noting, “Between jetting back and forth to the States to cosy up to Trump, Farage has been flogging gold coins. He seems to be forgetting that his main employer is his constituents—many of whom will be financially struggling this winter.”
Oliveri further criticized the situation, stating, “Is Farage an ambassador for Direct Bullion or Clacton? He’s got more jobs going on than Santa Claus this Christmas. It’s clear that tighter restrictions on MPs’ outside employment and tougher transparency rules are sorely needed.”
In addition to his work with Direct Bullion, Farage’s previous engagements include a £32,000 trip to the United States funded by businessman Christopher Harborne and a £40,000 speaking engagement at Nomad Capitalist in Arizona in October.
Earlier in the year, Farage had also recorded videos for Direct Bullion, which were marked as “paid promotion” on YouTube, with the majority released before the general election. He had touched on his affiliation with the firm during a previous guest appearance on the Triggernometry podcast.
Moreover, Farage faced scrutiny for delays in registering his role as chair of Action on World Health, with this association only listed in November, despite him accepting the position in May.
Source
www.theguardian.com