Nigel Farage faced criticism during Prime Minister’s Questions for earning money from additional jobs while questioning the adequacy of the minimum wage for young individuals. The leader of Reform UK has amassed over £1 million from secondary employment since the general election. Recently, he expressed doubts about the minimum wage for younger workers, implying it might be excessively high. This extra income is on top of his annual MP salary of £93,904.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, filling in for Keir Starmer at PMQs, mocked Farage for profiting as an ambassador for Direct Bullion, a dealer in precious metals and gold. Labour MP Adam Thompson raised concerns during the session, highlighting the significant increase in the national minimum wage for young people and questioning whether any of Farage’s numerous side jobs paid less than £10 per hour.
In response, Lammy pointed out Farage’s lucrative engagements with gold bullion and questioned his stance on reducing the minimum wage for individuals earning significantly less than him. Lammy emphasized the Labour Party’s commitment to supporting young workers by enhancing their wages and implementing initiatives like the youth guarantee to unlock their potential.
Over the past year, Farage has generated income from various activities such as public speaking, social media engagements, cameo video appearances, TV hosting for GB News, writing articles, and serving as an ambassador for Direct Bullion.
In a press conference on Monday, Farage suggested that the minimum wage might be overly high for younger employees, especially considering the reduction in the National Insurance Contribution threshold to £5,000 annually. Meanwhile, at the previous Tory conference, Kemi Badenoch insinuated that the minimum wage was detrimental to businesses and also criticized maternity pay for placing a burden on companies.
The current minimum wage stands at £7.55 for under 18s, £10 for 18 to 20-year-olds, and £12.21 for individuals aged 21 and above.