Interview · 29 Jul 2026
BBC Newsnight interview with Victoria Derbyshire: the 'Nigel' t-shirt post
Video: YouTube: BBC Politics (official channel). Retrieved 6 Oct 2026.
Some bluff & spinProvisional
109 sentences · 12 checked claims · 29 questions
Answers questions
69%
29 questions rated. Answered = 1, Partly answered and Declined openly = ½, Dodged = 0.
Answered 15Partly answered 9Declined openly 1Dodged 4
Victoria Derbyshire
Have the police been in touch yet?
AnsweredAsked whether police have been in touch. Says they have not.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Would you expect them to be? Do you expect them to be?
AnsweredAsked whether he expects police to contact him. Says it would be odd, and that he will cooperate if they do.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay. Did you not read the post properly then?
AnsweredAsked whether he read the post properly. Says no.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Why not?
AnsweredAsked why not. Says it came from a party he had accepted nine collaborations from, and he flicked through it.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
So, so let's I mean let's just look at this picture then. Any second now, this you did not see the T-shirt with the drawing of the guillotine with the words.
AnsweredAsked whether he saw the t-shirt in the picture. Says it was the fifth of 20 images and he did not read it.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Come on. Any leader of a political party in this country who shares a post like that is going to have reports and stories and conversations about them. You know that.
Partly answeredTold any party leader sharing such a post would get reports and stories. Replies with an earlier threat against him and says the conversation is legitimate, without addressing the point about leaders.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
But you are also complaining about it being reported.
AnsweredAsked about complaining that it was reported. Says he is objecting to how far the response went, and gives an example.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Well, let me let me put this to you. Nigel Farage says he has had 597 death threats since February. Reform UK's Zayna Yusuf said the post was incitement to murder.
AnsweredGiven the 597 death threats and the 'incitement to murder' charge. Condemns any incitement against Farage and rejects the charge for this post.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
you you've also told me that you accept as a leader of a political party responsibility for what you share on social media. And you have also said this was a mistake. Yes. And that you didn't read it properly. Do you want to take this opportunity to apologize to Nigel Farage?
Partly answeredAsked whether he will take the chance to apologise. Says he would if it were deliberate and that he will commit to be better on social media, without saying yes or no.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay. Do you want to apologize then or not?
AnsweredAsked again whether he wants to apologise. Says no, and gives his reasons.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay, there's a number of things to unpack there. First of all, you're saying you take responsibility for it and it was a mistake, and yet you won't apologize because you're blaming Nigel Farage for amplifying it.
DodgedTold he takes responsibility yet will not apologise because he blames Farage. Answers that double standards also need discussing.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
no, no, you keep taking the conversation on. I I If If you're accepting it's a mistake
DodgedAsked to stay with what he did. Moves to what Farage has said and done in the past.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
It's a mistake, but you won't apologize.
AnsweredTold it is a mistake but he will not apologise. Repeats that he would apologise had it been deliberate.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
we when we make mistakes, whether it's intentional or not, we say sorry. I mean, that's what we do.
AnsweredTold that people say sorry when they make mistakes. Says an apology would be used by Farage, and sets out why he will not give one.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Yes, but on behalf of you, your party said last night, "Once this image was brought to Zack's attention, he immediately unshared the post. He unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message. You're accepting it was dangerous and yet you won't apologize.
AnsweredTold his party called the message dangerous. Says he accepts it was dangerous and corrected it at once.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
But you won't apologize for sharing that dangerous message.
DodgedOn review, rated Dodged (was Declined openly: Asked if he will apologise for sharing a dangerous message. Says he will when Farage apologises for putting others in danger.)Our model rated this
Corrected by a person, 8 Oct 2026
Victoria Derbyshire
Right. So, okay. Okay. It's not the first time you have shared something that afterwards you have regretted. 3 months ago you retweeted criticism of the police's handling of the Golden Screen attack.
You apologized after that for quote sharing the post in haste. I don't really understand why why you haven't learned.
AnsweredAsked why he has not learned from an earlier regretted post. Says the two mistakes were different and explains how.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
So there is a question about your judgment then, isn't there?
Partly answeredTold there is a question about his judgment. Begins to agree ('there's a question') and is cut off.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
You read it and retweeted it. One you didn't retweet you didn't read it and shared it anyway.
Partly answeredTold that in one case he read and shared it, in the other he did not read it. Replies about how he uses social media and its reach, not the contrast.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Do you just forgive me. Do you still want to be Prime Minister? Do you still want to be in power?
Partly answeredAsked if he still wants to be Prime Minister. Says he wants a Green government whether or not he is Prime Minister, without saying yes or no.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Thank you for clarifying that because these mistakes involving social media could be described as careless at best, dangerous at worst. You would forgive voters surely then for potentially thinking you might be careless or dangerous with their lives or their safety or their money if you were in power. Fair?
Partly answeredAsked whether voters may think him careless or dangerous. Says he has to build trust, without saying whether the worry is fair.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
What I have just Right. So voters would be forgiven for thinking that because of these kind of mistakes and you're saying yeah, that's fair. They've got a right to think that.
Partly answeredPressed on whether voters have a right to think so. Says it is his job to build trust and that everyone makes mistakes, without saying whether voters are right.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay, well you made a mistake 3 months ago and don't seem to have learned from it. You've made a second mistake and won't apologize for it.
AnsweredTold he made a mistake three months ago and has not learned. Says the two mistakes differ and explains how.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Since that Golders Green repost, according to YouGov, your own approval ratings have dropped significantly and haven't gone back to the levels the levels seen February-March, let alone the ratings you had say last December. At the same time, Labour under Andy Burnham seem to be taking support away from the Greens. Are you worried now that the Greens under your leadership may have peaked?
DodgedAsked if he worries the Greens have peaked. Replies about Burnham's policies, not about the polling or his worry.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
So you don't you don't accept that you might you and the way you behave might be damaging the Greens.
Partly answeredAsked whether his behaviour may be damaging the Greens. Describes people who like his authenticity, without addressing the question directly.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay. On Can I ask you about social care, finally, if I may? Because we've learned in the last few minutes uh at 10:30 this came out the Prime Minister has issued an invitation to Kemi Badenoch and Sir Keir Starmer for tomorrow to begin, Andy Burnham says, a conversation about how to reform social care. Do you think you should have been invited to that?
Partly answeredAsked whether he should have been invited to the social care talks. Says it is a matter for the Prime Minister and welcomes the invitation to opposition leaders, then answers fully when asked again.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
be there?
AnsweredAsked if he would like to be there. Says yes and sets out his social care policy.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay. Uh finally, have you paid that council tax yet?
AnsweredAsked if he has paid his council tax. Says no, the council has not confirmed he owes it.Our model rated this
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Victoria Derbyshire
Okay. Um and and before I move and talk to our panel, I I'm going to give you one more opportunity, if you want to take it, to apologize to Nigel Farage.
Declined openlyGiven a last chance to apologise to Farage. Says it would be false and he stands by his convictions.Our model rated this
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1 further exchange(s) not rated: procedural or ceremonial questions (a tribute, thanks or condolence that asks for nothing), or questions the speaker did not take.