569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough

Summary of 569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough

by Goalhanger

55m•September 8, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of The Rest Is Politics with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart

This episode examines the rising power of the hard right in Europe through two headline stories: the AfD’s surge in a German state election in Saxony-Anhalt, and the growing scandal around Reform UK’s fundraising, conference behavior, and rhetoric. The hosts argue that these are not isolated national controversies but part of a broader international pattern of xenophobic, anti-democratic politics gaining momentum, helped by polarization, weak mainstream leadership, and the normalization of behaviour that would once have been politically fatal.

Germany: AfD surge in Saxony-Anhalt

Why the election mattered

  • The AfD won around 43–44% in Saxony-Anhalt, a dramatic result that nearly puts them in position to lead a German state.
  • The result was described as potentially historic: the first far-right-led German state since the Nazi era.
  • The CDU collapsed to roughly 17%, highlighting the weakness of Germany’s mainstream conservative opposition.

What the AfD is and why it is seen as dangerous

  • The AfD began as an anti-Euro party during the eurozone crisis, then expanded after the 2015 migration crisis.
  • The hosts and guest Paul Ronzheimer stressed that it is not just populist:
    • it contains hard-right extremist elements
    • it has links to fascist networks and past youth extremist groups
    • it is strongly pro-Russia / pro-Putin
  • The party’s politics are framed as a mix of nationalism, anti-migration sentiment, and anti-EU hostility.

Key political implications

  • The AfD’s positions challenge core EU structures:
    • leaving the euro
    • undermining Schengen
    • weakening support for Ukraine
  • The episode notes that even as the AfD gains power, it has not moderated much; leading figures still openly talk about leaving the euro and pursuing radical nationalist policies.
  • The party’s rise is also tied to frustration in eastern Germany, especially among voters who feel abandoned by the CDU and SPD.

Local dynamics and voter sentiment

  • Ronzheimer described many voters as having:
    • nostalgia for the former East Germany (DDR)
    • resentment over migration policy
    • anger about support for Ukraine while domestic budgets are squeezed
    • a belief that the AfD is at least “something different” after repeated disappointment with mainstream parties
  • A key point: many voters are not necessarily enthusiastic about the AfD’s ideology so much as fed up with everyone else.

What happens next

  • The hosts discuss whether:
    • CDU politicians might secretly support an AfD-backed outcome
    • Friedrich Merz can survive as CDU leader
    • the AfD’s growth could fuel a broader “blue wave” across Germany
  • They also note the electoral danger for the mainstream if the right continues to gain ground in upcoming state contests.

Reform UK: foreign funding allegations and ethical collapse

The undercover investigation

  • A major focus is an undercover documentary showing Reform figures discussing how to accept impermissible foreign donations.
  • An undercover reporter posed as the son of an American billionaire and spent months gathering evidence.
  • The hosts argue the footage strongly suggests:
    • deliberate attempts to circumvent electoral law
    • an effort to conceal who was actually funding polling and party operations
    • a culture of plausible deniability around Nigel Farage

Main figures discussed

  • James Orr is singled out as an especially revealing figure:
    • a Cambridge academic and professor of ethics/divinity
    • presented as a respectable intellectual voice for the right
    • shown, in the hosts’ view, behaving dishonestly and contemptuously toward transparency rules
  • Dan Jukes is also mentioned as part of the fundraising arrangement.
  • Farage is accused of relying on the idea that he can claim ignorance while benefiting from the scheme.

The legal and moral argument

  • The hosts insist the issue is not just technical legality but the purpose of the law:
    • British parties are meant to be funded by UK-domiciled donors
    • the law exists to prevent foreign influence, whether from Russia, China, or American billionaires
  • They argue the Reform operation appears designed to break both the spirit and possibly the letter of the law.

Wider context: Reform, Russia, and normalization

  • The episode connects the scandal to other figures such as Nathan Gill, a former Farage ally who was jailed for pro-Russian activity.
  • The hosts argue Reform’s conduct reflects a broader collapse in political standards:
    • “they all do it” defenses
    • reduced public outrage
    • increased tolerance for corruption and dishonesty

Reform conference and far-right culture

Violence and intimidation

  • A woman questioning Reform at the conference was allegedly grabbed, hit, and dragged out.
  • The hosts say the reaction from senior right-wing figures showed striking indifference.

What it says about the party

  • The episode argues this reveals a culture of:
    • coarseness
    • violence
    • anti-democratic behavior
    • contempt for accountability

Immigration and racism

  • The hosts condemn comments questioning whether a British citizen should be eligible for office because she was not born in Britain.
  • They describe this as straightforward racism and part of a wider attempt to redefine citizenship in ethnic rather than civic terms.

“Protesters” at the ports

  • The episode also criticizes masked men in black who tried to shut down ports over small boat crossings.
  • The hosts reject the media label of “protesters” and call them far-right thugs.
  • They argue the group’s behaviour fits the same pattern:
    • anti-migrant rage
    • intimidation
    • criminality normalized as activism

Main takeaways

  • The hard right is gaining ground in both Britain and Germany, but the deeper story is the erosion of democratic norms across Europe.
  • The AfD and Reform are portrayed as different versions of the same phenomenon:
    • nationalist
    • anti-immigration
    • anti-establishment
    • comfortable with dishonesty and extremism
  • Mainstream leaders are seen as weak, reactive, or incapable of offering a compelling alternative.
  • The hosts warn that these movements are not merely electoral irritants; they may reshape Europe’s politics, weaken support for Ukraine, and destabilize the broader European project.

Notable insights

  • “These parties are eroding everything we cared about with democracy.”
  • The AfD’s success is driven less by ideological conviction than by anger at the existing political class.
  • Far-right movements are increasingly effective at presenting themselves as respectable, moral, or patriotic while normalizing corruption and extremism underneath.