Nigel Farage’s column ends at the Telegraph amidst ownership changes

Farage, the leader of Reform UK, recently penned an article criticizing the first budget of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and advocating for policies such as eliminating benefits for non-citizens, abandoning net-zero targets, and reducing foreign aid.

Disagreement surrounds the reason for the contract’s termination, which reportedly paid Farage approximately £4,000 per month. Sources suggest Axel Springer opted not to renew the agreement, while others close to Farage claim he resigned due to concerns about the newspaper’s evolving direction.

This change follows news that Allison Pearson, another right-leaning columnist, is in discussions about leaving the publication. The shift in direction fuels speculation about The Telegraph’s future political stance as Axel Springer aims to expand into the US market as a center-right publication championing free speech.

Internal concerns arose regarding the newspaper’s connections to Reform UK, traditionally closely aligned with the Conservative party. Staff expressed disapproval of Reform’s tactic of releasing stories to The Telegraph preemptively, and a piece featuring a journalist who was later revealed to be a Reform member and activist also drew criticism. Isabel Oakeshott, partner of Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice, also contributes columns to the paper.

In previous columns, Farage encouraged readers to support Reform UK, and defended the party’s acceptance of two £36 million donations from cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, stating the donors sought no personal gain.

This change comes as Axel Springer plans widespread redundancies across the business, impacting the newsroom, sports, and culture sections. Staff expressed frustration, contradicting earlier statements from Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner about achieving growth through cost-cutting.

Farage’s departure joins a series of changes that have upset some on the right, including the potential end of Allison Pearson’s podcast, Planet Normal, and the cancellation of Liam Halligan’s Sunday Telegraph column. Former Brexit party politician Alex Phillips criticized the situation as a “political bloodbath.”

A Telegraph source declined to comment on individual employment matters. The Telegraph Media Group reported a £4 million loss last year, attributed to legal fees and asset revaluation, although underlying pre-tax operating profits were approximately £48 million.