Writing in The Times on the even of nominations opening, Mr Burnham said he would seek stability in his foreign policy as prime minister as he set out his commitment to Nato, the nuclear deterrent, maintaining close ties with the US and support for Ukraine as well as continuing to bolster relations with the EU.

Back then, firefighters spent hours tackling flames that had taken hold of the old club’s structure, with crews using jets and breathing apparatus to bring the blaze under control and stop it spreading to neighbouring properties.

Today, its windows and doors are boarded up, but new images from urban explorer Alex Miller show in stark detail what became of the interior once the fire service left and nature, time and vandals took over.

(Image: Alex Miller/@amurbex)

Reports at the time described a “major fire” at the derelict RAFA Club, with three crews sent to Stockton Road.

Flames and smoke were visible from outside as firefighters worked from the road and the rear of the property, while police closed parts of the street and urged people to stay away from the scene.

Witnesses recalled the eerie sight of an already‑abandoned social club lit up by orange glow, with the blaze tearing through roof timbers and upper rooms that had once hosted ex‑RAF personnel, families and friends.

(Image: Alex Miller/@amurbex)

By the time the fire was out, the building was structurally damaged, open to the weather and effectively written off.

New pictures show the state of the building eight years on.

In one image, the remains of a bar area sit beneath a sagging, fire‑blackened ceiling, bottles and fixtures long gone but the layout still just about recognisable.

(Image: Alex Miller/@amurbex)

His close‑ups focus on details: scorched notice boards, collapsed ceiling tiles, and fragments of RAF memorabilia lying half‑buried in dust, all hinting at the building’s former life as a hub for the local air force community.

Long before the fire, Hartlepool’s RAFA Club had served as a social home for veterans, serving personnel and their families, part of a wider network of clubs and branches linked to the Royal Air Forces Association.

The Stockton Road building is now disconnected from that role, with the former clubhouse standing as a physical reminder of how easily heritage spaces can slip into neglect and disaster.

The 2018 blaze came just a day after another significant fire in the town, at the Longscar Centre on The Front, compounding local concerns about derelict buildings and fire risks.

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The mother of 16 children rescued from a house of horrors, living like ‘feral animals’, once gave birth to conjoined twins who died the same day, newly released state records have disclosed

The mother of 16 children rescued from a house of horrors, living like ‘feral animals,’ once gave birth to conjoined twins, newly released state records have revealed.

Sixteen children have been taken from a squalid, crumbling property where they were “kept in worse conditions than livestock.” US authorities have characterised the alleged crimes as an ‘intrafamily’ case, suggesting some of the children may have been born from incestuous relationships within the family.

Officials say the children, aged between 18 months and 18 years old, “looked like feral animals” with four adults, Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, believed to be the parents and grandparents, now facing criminal charges.

Prosecutor William Archer said the carers were responsible for causing “serious physical harm”. New documentation uncovered relating to the case reveals that Elizabeth Siders gave birth to daughters Bailey Lee and Faith Lee Siders at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, in 2022, reports the Express.

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They were born with a condition called thoracopagus, where their faces and chests were conjoined.

They tragically died later that day, according to the records. Officers were met with a harrowing scene, with all the children crammed into a dilapidated three-and-a-half square metre space covered in human waste.

The shocking conditions, which the children are said to have suffered for four years, were branded “pure evil,” by Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.

Wilson described the children as existing in “conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”

He noted that several children were unable to speak, with investigators disclosing that an 18 year old found at the property could not write her own name. Wilson stated: “It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.”

Two parents and two grandparents each face 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony.

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain expressed his horror at the discovery, stating: “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.”

Seven of the children were transferred to hospitals in Columbus, with two needing emergency airlift.

Wilson confirmed that one child remained in a critical condition on Tuesday, while the remaining children were undergoing medical treatment.

He stressed that addressing the children’s physical wellbeing was the immediate priority, while also recognising the profound psychological trauma their lengthy ordeal would have caused. Officials refused to detail the exact family connections between the children, but confirmed this was not a case of human trafficking.

The four suspects have no ties to the area, with detectives believing they had been continuously moving to prevent creating medical and governmental records.

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“These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Mr Wilson said. Prosecutor Archer stated: “Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians. No child should endure these kinds of conditions.

“My office will do everything in our power to make sure these children get the love and care they deserve. My office will prosecute these persons to the fullest extent of the law.”

The four accused appeared at Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning and are being held on $300,000 bail. Detectives believe the Siders family has been residing across multiple Ohio counties since 2008 and are investigating whether they had any prior contact with children’s services.

The shocking find occurred in the tiny township of Hamden, with a population of under 1,000, located approximately 60 miles south-east of Columbus.

Many of us are feeling the effects of summer exhaustion

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Charlie Kirk’s family has demanded that testimony from Tyler Robinson’s transgender lover be played in full in court after a judge ruled that part of it could be redacted. 

Robinson, who is accused of assassinating Kirk, is currently facing a week-long preliminary hearing, during which prosecutors are seeking to prove they have enough evidence to take the case to trial. 

The 23-year-old alleged assassin could be put to death if he is convicted of murdering Kirk at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. 

Judge Tony Graf ruled on Wednesday that video from Robinson’s lover and roommate, Lance Twiggs, could be published, except for about a 1-minute-and-20-second portion, which the prosecution said they will edit and play in court on Thursday.

A Kirk family representative shot back at the decision and said in court: ‘To not be transparent, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system, and that’s not what anybody wants.’

‘That’s not what any of us believe should happen here and we’d ask the court to consider the position of the family and making this decision,’ the representative added. 

Robinson’s defense argued that portions of the video are irrelevant and that playing it could impact his right to a fair trial, and they submitted a 20-page transcript of the interview, along with proposed redactions.

The testimony in question comes from two interviews police conducted with Twiggs, one of which occurred on September 12, the day after Robinson turned himself in, and the other on April 20. 

Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn, have also been at court every day this week. The family has demanded that testimony from Robinson’s transgender lover be played in full in court

Prosecutors are seeking to prove they have enough evidence to take the case against Robinson (pictured from behind) to trial

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Kirk’s widow, Erika, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn, have been at court every day this week for the evidence hearing. 

Prosecutors on Wednesday also showed a video of Charlie Kirk‘s alleged assassin turning himself in to cops. 

Robinson has remained in custody since his family convinced him to turn himself in after recognizing him in surveillance photos shared nationwide during a frenzied manhunt for Kirk’s killer.

The video of Robinson turning himself in was introduced as evidence while Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Brian Davis was testifying.

The video depicts Robinson, dressed in a maroon shirt, jeans and a hat, in a room in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office while his parents and friend waited.

Davis said after Robinson and his parents were interviewed, Robinson was placed under arrest.

He also added that he interviewed Robinson’s mother, and other law enforcement officers interviewed Robinson and Robinson’s father.

A family friend who came in with the Robinsons also was interviewed, Davis said

Charlie Kirk was shot to death at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He is pictured on that day

Charlie and Erika Kirk are pictured with their two children. Robinson could be put to death if he is convicted of killing Charlie

Judge Tony Graf ruled on Wednesday that video from Robinson’s lover and roommate, Lance Twiggs, could be published but that it would be partially redacted

The clip was one of several presented during days of testimony to decide whether the case should proceed to trial.

On Tuesday, prosecutors presented bombshell evidence that they say places Robinson at the scene of the murder.

In surveillance allegedly showing Robinson moments before Kirk was killed, the suspect was seen walking with an apparent limp – keeping his right leg straight as he climbed stairs on the way to the ‘snipers perch’ on a nearby rooftop.

The video blew a hole in conspiracy theories that claim Robinson ‘never set foot on the campus.’

Former Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent David Hull described the footage as it was played to court.

He revealed that Robinson spoke with members of Kirk’s group, Turning Point USA, and got Chick-fil-A before the shooting, then changed his clothes before the murder.

On Monday, Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley – the first officer at the scene – testified that he was near the stage when Kirk was hit by a single bullet in the neck, sending the crowd scrambling for safety.

Bagley described the moments as ‘chaotic,’ but said he quickly realized there was a raised roof across from where Kirk was shot that could have been where the assassin fired from.

Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent Brian Davis testified that he interviewed Robinson’s mother when he turned himself in

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Video played in court showed Tyler Robinson, dressed in a maroon shirt, jeans and a hat, in a room in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office when he turned himself in

He testified that he raced to the rooftop of the Losee Center building and found a ‘sniper pad,’ with the gravel on the roof imprinted from where the suspect had laid down to take the fatal shot.

The weapon was described as a bolt-action rifle with one spent round. It was found after in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot and, according to police, a towel wrapped around the weapon tested positive for Robinson’s DNA.

Investigators have also claimed to have found bullet casings engraved with political messages in the gun.

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) — Graham Platner said Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy only to implode and imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington.

Platner’s exit will most likely force a reckoning within the party, which has been divided between its moderate and progressive factions, when it is struggling to unify during this year’s midterm elections. Maine is considered a key state for control of the narrowly divided Senate, and Democrats were desperate for a candidate capable of defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins while President Donald Trump is broadly unpopular.

In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be “open, transparent and democratic” and to reflect the will and values of people who supported him. He also lashed out at Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C.

“People in D.C. need to stay in D.C.,” Platner said. “Decisions should not be made by people in places of political power.”

At times scratching his beard and looking off camera as he spoke, Platner seemed to become emotional as he announced his plans, seated on what appeared to be a wooden deck as the noise of nearby traffic whizzed by. He also stressed that his decision was not an admission of guilt.

Although Platner had never before held elected office, progressive leaders promoted him over Gov. Janet Mills, who was favored by the Democratic establishment. Mills dropped out of the race in late April as Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer, consolidated support from primary voters who were eager for a more combative candidate and were willing to overlook his checkered past, which included a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol and online postings dismissive of sexual assault.

Shortly before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination in the June 9 primary, there were reports that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women while married and that he had become physical with a previous girlfriend during an argument.

But Platner’s support didn’t crater until Monday, when Politico reported that a woman said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop.

Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner but cut off contact with him after that night in 2021 and told him the encounter wasn’t consensual. In a CNN interview, she said she had been raped “by definition.”

After the story was published, Platner in a video released on social media denied the allegation as “categorically false” but said he would be “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” for his campaign. High-level backers pulled their support, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said the next day that he spoke with Platner and that “in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”

State law includes a provision for Democrats to replace Platner before the general election. The state Democratic Party held an emergency meeting Wednesday, where more than 100 state committee members signed off on holding a nominating convention, in the event of Platner’s withdrawal.

Platner announced he would do just that less than an hour later.

According to the statute, party officials may select a new nominee if a candidate who won the primary withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13. The replacement candidate must be named by July 27.

Democrats must net four Senate seats to gain control of the 100-member chamber, and party leaders viewed Maine as a critical piece of the puzzle, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.

Nazi tattoo, Reddit posts and more had already been challenges for Platner

Platner has faced difficult questions almost from the moment he started his campaign last year. News outlets uncovered years-old comments on Reddit that appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs.

There was another controversy over the skull-and-crossbones tattoo, which is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol, on his chest. He said he was unaware of the history and chose the tattoo while drunk and on leave with fellow Marines in Croatia. He covered the tattoo after becoming a candidate, and he said in an Oct. 21 interview with the Pod Save America political podcast that he was “not a secret Nazi.”

“Skulls and crossbones are a pretty standard military thing,” Platner added.

However, a former girlfriend told The New York Times that Platner joked about the tattoo being a Nazi symbol and called it “my Totenkopf.”

The revelations about the tattoo and the online comments stirred concern among Democrats that Platner had been poorly vetted as a political candidate and demonstrated questionable judgment. Some party leaders despaired over Platner’s chances to win even before allegations about previous relationships began to surface.

Platner drew progressive buzz and support

Before Politico’s story was published, Platner canceled some town halls planned around the state. Such events were a calling card for his campaign, which prided itself on a willingness to go anywhere to rally voters. Volunteers hosted happy hours and trivia nights that helped generate enthusiasm for a generational shift from Collins, 73, to Platner, 41.

At a time when Democrats have grown dissatisfied with the party establishment, Platner seemed like an appealing alternative. His deep voice could command a room, and voters were drawn to his gruff populism and focus on economic inequality.

They were also willing to look past controversies as Platner portrayed himself as a regular person who had made mistakes and was striving to better himself and his community. Sometimes he talked about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, and he focused on the power of redemption.

Before the sexual assault allegation became public, some voters said they also wouldn’t want to be judged on their worst moments, such as drunken behavior or crude comments.

Platner was backed by progressives including Rep. Ro Khanna of California, but that support quickly eroded after Racicot’s allegations.

“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said Monday. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

IT was a double dose of summer celebration for these York twins who won a special prize ahead of their prom

Twin sisters Ellie and Maygen Mchale from Vale of York academy won a pre-prom photoshoot at their leavers’ assembly for good attendance and hard work throughout their GCSEs.

They had a photoshoot at Clifford’s Tower in York before heading into their prom at the Hilton York Hotel on Thursday, June 25.

Twin sisters Ellie and Maygen Mchale from Vale of York Academy ahead of their school prom

Ellie and Maygen are just two of the hundreds of teenagers across the York area who have been dressing up for their end-of-school-year celebrations.

Recommended reading:

We have been asking readers to share photos of school proms this season and have witnessed lots of pupils having fun – thanks to everyone who has contributed.

Proud aunt Tracy Galloway also sent us photos of her niece Ellie Durkin, pictured with friends ahead of her prom.

Ellie Durkin and her friend Shelby Buck of York High School at their school prom

Ellie Durkin, 16, a pupil at York High school, is pictured with her friend Shelby Buck and also Brooke Webster.

Send us your photos

We would love to see more school prom photos – and share them with Press readers.

Please send them – along with your prom story – by email to maxine.gordon@thepress.co.uk

You can also send your photos and all the information for the story straight to our newsdesk via an easy-to-use online form – just hit the ‘send now’ button below…

Five teenagers have been arrested

Five teenagers have been arrested following an alleged stabbing in a town near Cambridgeshire. Norfolk Police were called at 8.36pm on Tuesday, July 7 following reports of an ongoing incident involving weapons on Sage Avenue in Downham Market.

The force said 15 calls came into the police control room in total with reports a teenager had been stabbed. Officers attended and established the suspects and the victim had all left the scene.

The victim was located at an address elsewhere in the town. He was taken to hospital by ambulance where he was treated for stab wounds. The force has confirmed the victim’s stab wounds are not life-threatening or life-changing.

Further enquiries led officers to stop a car on the A10 at Southery at 9.20pm. Four teenage boys in the vehicle were arrested on suspicion of assault and a teenage girl was arrested in Sage Avenue on suspicion of affray.

They were all taken to King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre for questioning, where they remain. A cordon was put in place on Sage Avenue to allow for forensic investigations to be carried out which has now been lifted.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Norfolk Police quoting reference 36/49701/26 via their website or by calling 101.

Police are investigating a donation given to Robert Jenrick’s Conservative leadership campaign in 2024, BBC News understands.

The Electoral Commission had reportedly been looking at claims £37,500 donated to Jenrick’s campaign originated overseas. That information was passed from the commission to the Metropolitan Police in January this year.

The force confirmed it had now launched a formal investigation “concerning donations connected to a political party’s leadership campaign”. Foreign donations to UK politicians are banned under electoral law.

The Metropolitan Police has not said who might be caught up in the investigation’s inquiries.

Jenrick said the “allegations are entirely false”.

“I have had no contact with the Met Police whatsoever in connection with this matter,” he added.

Jenrick is now a Reform MP, having defected from the Conservatives to Nigel Farage’s party earlier this year.

He ran to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader in summer 2024, when he came second to Kemi Badenoch.

As first reported by the Guardian in April, the Electoral Commission began examining allegations related to £100,000 in donations from the company Spott Fitness, given to Jenrick’s campaign.

In September 2024 the British businessman Phillip Ullmann revealed that he was the man behind those donations.

However the Electoral Commission has been examining claims that £37,5000 of that money actually came from the US company Innovyz.

Innovyz was founded by Gary Klopfenstein, a US businessman who in 2024 pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.

A spokesman for Jenrick said: “The suggestion that Robert knowingly accepted impermissible donations is an untrue, politically motivated smear, put about years later by the Conservatives, despite the fact that Mr Ullman was introduced to Robert by a Tory MP, and had his donations’ permissibility checked by the party.

“Robert and his campaign team complied with all electoral laws when receiving the donation received from Spott Fitness Ltd in 2024.

“Mr Jenrick has never met, spoken to, or had any contact with Mr Klopfenstein, nor was he aware of any connection between him and Mr Ullman’s donation until he was contacted by the Electoral Commission.

“He fully cooperated with the Electoral Commission inquiry, providing detailed records that categorically disproved these smears in 2025.”

The Conservative Party says that all candidates in the 2024 leadership race were reminded of the law surrounding what counts as a permissible donation.

A spokesperson for Ullmann declined to comment.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “We have launched an investigation following a referral from the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, 6 January concerning donations connected to a political party’s leadership campaign. The investigation remains ongoing.”

Nigel Farage last night insisted he is fighting a ‘real election’.

He spoke out after his by-election gamble left him facing off against a man dressed as a bin.

Voters in Clacton face the prospect of a ‘farcical’ ballot, featuring none of the main rival parties, after they all refused to fight the contest sparked by Mr Farage’s sudden resignation amid sleaze accusations.

Mr Farage, accusing his mainstream opponents of cowardice, now has joke candidate Count Binface as his chief rival.

Speaking to the Daily Mail from one of his favourite pubs in the Essex constituency, he batted away accusations that he himself faces the prospect of becoming a laughing stock over the Commons contest, set to take place next month.

Asked if he is bracing for hustings against Count Binface over the coming weeks, the Reform chief branded the notion ‘silly’, adding: ‘I’m asking for an endorsement of me as a person, and our agenda for change.’

It came as bookies trimmed Binface’s odds from 50-1 to 5-1 overnight and Labour and the Tories weighed in behind the comedian, real name Jon Harvey.

The candidate – who describes himself as a 5,900-year-old space warrior and has policy pledges including ‘building one affordable house’ and ‘nationalising Adele’ – branded the showdown ‘Binface vs Binfire’, adding: ‘Bring it on.’

Mr Farage, accusing his mainstream opponents of cowardice, now has joke candidate Count Binface as his chief rival

Talking trash: Bookies have trimmed Binface’s odds from 50-1 to 5-1 overnight, as Labour and the Tories weighed in behind the comedian, real name Jon Harvey

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He also stood in the Makerfield ballot that saw Andy Burnham return to Westminster last month, losing his deposit after gaining 95 of the 45,000 votes cast.

Mr Farage’s interview with the Daily Mail took place minutes after he officially ceased to be an MP.

MPs can only resign from Parliament via an archaic mechanism that involves being given a ceremonial job by the Chancellor of the Exchequer – in Mr Farage’s case, the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.

Rachel Reeves confirmed his appointment around 2pm yesterday, adding: ‘If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him.’

The Reform leader confessed to being wrong-footed by the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Restore Britain as they all refused to participate in the run-off.

Asked if he’d considered the possibility of fighting as the only proper candidate, Mr Farage confessed: ‘No, of course not.

‘Why would they [not contest]? It’s a real election.’

Mr Farage accused all the other parties of ‘working together’ to undermine his by-election framing of a battle between him and the ‘establishment’.

‘The fact Labour and the Conservatives don’t want to stand, they’re both showing contempt for the electorate. They can use whatever terms they want – it’s a real election with real people.’

But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch mocked her Right-wing rival yesterday, joking: ‘If it’s the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people. This whole thing is a farce.’ 

Also potentially threatening Mr Farage’s vote share, actor Laurence Fox, leader of the Right-wing Reclaim party, has said he will stand in Clacton. 

Last month, the hard-Right Restore Britain party took voters away from Reform in Makerfield. 

In another worrying sign for Mr Farage, a YouGov poll yesterday suggested the public are strongly opposed to the by-election and backed the boycott by opposition parties. 

They also do not believe the former Ukip leader has been honest about his finances.

Mr Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over £5million he received from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne. 

He initially suggested it was to fund his personal security but has since said it was both a ‘reward’ for his Brexit campaigning and an ‘unconditional gift’.

This weekend he faced further questions about undeclared donations from a convicted fraudster, Reform supporter George Cottrell, also known as ‘Posh George’.

Mr Farage argued that calling the by-election was the only way of breaking the ‘paralysis’ Reform UK was facing this summer amid swirling questions about his personal finances and interests.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the by-election proposed by Mr Farage was ‘a farce’

He told the Daily Mail: ‘If there’s a daily media pile-on saying that I’m dishonest on this, that or the other, it leaves me in a position of paralysis. So I’ve done this to try and break that.

‘The extent of the co-ordination of the pile-on had left us slightly in a state of paralysis – that could have gone on for months. What if [the commissioner for] standards doesn’t answer until October?’

Mr Farage also launched a broadside against the House of Commons Standards Committee, accusing some of its members of bias. ‘It is going to be a completely subjective judgement.’

Mr Farage was fulsome in his defence of Mr Cottrell. Long-term ally Mr Cottrell, 32, reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the General Election, and has continued to allow him to use a Georgian property he rents for tens of thousands of pounds a month near Buckingham Palace.

Keir Starmer said Mr Farage had ‘run himself into a cul-de-sac’ with his decision to quit as an MP and trigger a by-election. 

The PM said at the Nato summit in Turkey: ‘Nigel Farage has been utterly exposed in this complete stunt that he was trying to set up. He’s up to his neck in sleaze and he doesn’t want to answer questions about it.’