Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf clashed with Green Party leader Zack Polanski on BBC Question Time over the conviction of ex-Reform Welsh leader Nathan Gill, who took Russian bribes
BBC Question Time spat over Farage links to Russia bribe politician
Nigel Farage’s top aide has clashed with the leader of the Green Party in a bitter row over a former Reform chief who took bribes from Russia.
Zia Yusuf was confronted by Zack Polanski on BBC Question Time about Nathan Gill, the party’s former leader in Wales. Gill, 52, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery after making statements in favour of Russia.
Reform has distanced itself from the shamed politician, a former UKIP and Brexit Party MEP, who is set to be sentenced next month. Mr Polanski said: “I want to ask Zia if we’re talking about people’s past records. Nathan Gill, this is a man who was found guilty on bribery with the Russian state.
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“Now, Zia said that Nigel Farage and Reform did not know who this man was. But Nigel Farage, including the day after Brexit happened, was pictured with four men behind him, one of them being former MEP for Reform Nathan Gill, the man that Zia says no one knows who he was.
“So were you lying or was Nigel Farage lying?” Mr Yusuf hit back: “I’m afraid if you want to use the word lie, let’s be clear about something. You are lying. What I said is I have never met Nathan Gill.
“I took over as chairman in the summer of last year. I will tell you, I have never met Nathan Gill in my life.”
Last month, after Gill admitted bribery, Mr Yusuf told BBC Breakfast: “I’ve never spoken to him, most people in the senior leadership team have never really heard of the guy.”
After being shown pictures of Mr Farage with Gill, he told the show: “Whatever that footage is, Nigel meets tens of thousands of people on an annual basis ultimately, he can’t be held accountable for the actions of every single person who he comes in contact with.”
During the Question Time debate, Mr Yusuf stressed again at his boss meets tens of thousands of people each year. “Including his own MP? Is that believable?” the Green Party boss asked.
“At the time that this guy was the Welsh leader, Reform was polling, like 1% in Wales,” said Mr Yusuf. He was accused of “filibustering” by Mr Polanski. “Nigel was not leader when Nathan Gill had a position,” said Mr Yusuf.
Mr Polanski then said: “Was he stood behind Nigel Farage in the picture or was he not?” Mr Yusuf replied: “The number of people standing in a photo with Nigel Farage, there would be hundreds of them.”
At this point host Fiona Bruce stepped in, telling Mr Polanski: “Okay, you’ve made your point, but I think there’s other things that the audience want to talk about, am I right?”
Mr Polanski later posted a picture of Gill and Mr Farage together on Twitter/X. In 2017 Gill posted on Twitter: “Happy birthday to my friend and colleague @Nigel_Farage aka Mr Brexit.”
Gill was elected as a UKIP, and later Brexit Party, MEP between 2014 and 2020. He was leader of UKIP Wales between 2014 and 2016 – while Mr Farage was the national leader.
Gill went on to become leader of Reform UK Wales between March and May 2021. He led the party’s Senedd/Welsh Parliament election campaign – has not been a member since 2021.
Gill, from Llangefni, Anglesey, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019. He took money from Oleg Voloshyn – who has previously been branded a “pawn” of the Russian security services by the US government – and made speeches in the European Parliament and on TV.
In 2018 he used a parliamentary speech to defend TV channels 112 Ukraine and NewsOne, which are linked to Vladimir Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk.
Gill gave two contributions in favour of the channels in December 2018 and March 2019. He also appeared on the TV channel speaking in support of Medvedchuk, who was facing criminal proceedings for high treason.
And Gill also arranged MEPs to speak to 112 Ukraine – also hosting a presentation with Mr Medvedchuk in exchange for bribes.
After Gill’s case was heard at the Old Bailey, Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s counter terrorism command, said: “Our investigation uncovered an elected MEP was taking payments to peddle narratives that would have had the effect of being beneficial towards Russian interests.
“This case goes to the heart of our democratic values and as we’ve shown here, we will not hesitate to investigate and disrupt anyone seeking to harm or undermine these values and our national security.”
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