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Last man standing

Introducing | Posh George: The criminal behind Farage

7/4/20262 min

A baby-faced British aristocrat called George Cottrell faces arrest in the US, just weeks after he and his boss, Nigel Farage, reach the summit of their careers to date - the Brexit vote.

A decade later ‘Posh George' is still the Reform leader's right-hand man. 

This groundbreaking series from The Sunday Times’s Insight team investigates how the politician who could hold the keys to Number 10 came to depend upon a crypto enthusiast, gambler and fraudster.  

Both George Cottrell and Nigel Farage deny any wrongdoing.

Begins today, 4th July. New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.

Host: Gabriel Pogrund, editor of Insight at The Sunday Times.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 1· Soundbite0:00

    Now I need you to tell me what you did that caused you to be charged with this crime that you're pleading guilty to today.

  2. Gabriel Pogrund· Host0:07

    This is the voice of a baby-faced British aristocrat called George Cottrell telling a US judge, I knowingly participated in a scheme for financial fraud. Known as Posh George, he was jailed in 2016 after being caught by undercover federal agents. And when he was arrested getting off the plane in Chicago, standing by his side was the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage. I'm Gabriel Pogren from the Sunday Times. I run the Insight Investigations team, and together with my colleagues, Venetia Mingus.

  3. Venetia Mingus· Panelist0:48

    I guess a much clearer option might just be through his aristocratic uncle.

  4. Gabriel Pogrund· Host0:54

    And Manu Midolo.

  5. Manu Midolo· Panelist0:56

    Quite imposing and looking slightly sinister. The shutters are closed.

  6. Gabriel Pogrund· Host1:00

    We spent the last few months trying to understand how a convicted fraudster with no official role in Reform UK has worked his way into the heart of British politics, standing by the man who could win the next election. It's taken us from Mayfair to Montenegro to the rolling countryside of England and on a wild ride through the worlds of politics, crypto and crime.

  7. Speaker 51:25

    From the British political sphere, we just have the problem with this

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