Business1 min read

Nigel Farage’s regular column for the Telegraph to end

By · Via The Guardian Politics · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Accounts diverge on the exit from the £4,000-a-month arrangement, with some sources claiming Axel Springer declined to renew the contract while Farage's camp asserts he resigned over the paper's direction. The move coincides with negotiations for columnist Allison Pearson to exit and the cancellation of Liam Halligan's Sunday column. Meanwhile, newsroom redundancies have heavily affected the sports and culture desks following an annual loss driven by ownership legal fees. Internal editorial tensions have also flared over the paper running sympathetic stories planted by Reform UK.

Key points

  • The newspaper is shifting editorial direction to establish itself as an international com…: The newspaper is shifting editorial direction to establish itself as an international competitor to the Wall Street Journal.
  • Several prominent conservative commentators are parting ways with the outlet amid disagre…: Several prominent conservative commentators are parting ways with the outlet amid disagreements over its editorial future.
  • Newsroom staff voiced concern over the publication running sympathetic material planted d…: Newsroom staff voiced concern over the publication running sympathetic material planted directly by Reform UK.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Nigel Farage will no longer write a regular column for the Telegraph, becoming the latest prominent rightwing figure to leave the title’s roster under its new ownership.

The Reform UK leader wrote for the broadsheet as recently as last week, condemning the first budget of Andy Burnham’s premiership and pledging to “scrap benefits for foreigners, abolish net zero targets” and “slash foreign aid”.

However, the Guardian understands that his contract to write regularly for the title is to end.

There appears to be a dispute over the reasons behind the termination of the contract, which paid Farage about £4,000 a month, according to the register of MPs’ financial interests.

Sources suggested that Axel Springer, the Telegraph’s new German owner, has decided not to renew it.

However, sources close to Farage said the Reform leader submitted his resignation on Friday, as he did not like the direction that the Telegraph was moving in.

The news comes after it emerged last week that Allison Pearson, a writer firmly on the right wing of the Telegraph’s regular columnists, was understood to be in…

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