Well, the corporate media kept this largely quiet, didn’t they?
Nigel Farage’s political fortunes have endured a bruising run of late, but this embarrassment for Reform UK and its leader is not about their inherent bigotry and lies– it is judicial. In a case that has quietly concluded at Croydon Magistrates’ Court, Farage’s nephew was found guilty of a sexual offence, adding an unwelcome personal dimension to an already turbulent period for the party.
Joseph Farage, 31, pleaded guilty last January to upskirting, an offence that was criminalised in England and Wales in 2019 following years of campaigning by victims and women’s rights groups. The crime involves placing a camera or recording device beneath a person’s clothing without their consent, with the intention of viewing or recording their genitals, buttocks or underwear. The law was explicitly designed to address a practice that campaigners argued had long been minimised or dismissed despite its clear sexual and psychological harm.
According to the court, the offence took place in a Co-op store in Orpington, Kent. Joseph Farage admitted placing his mobile phone beneath the clothing of a woman, not only to capture images without her consent but also with the intention of sharing them with a third party. Prosecutors told the court the act was carried out with the purpose of humiliating and distressing the victim – a factor that underscores the seriousness of the offence beyond mere voyeurism.
Despite this, the sentence was limited to a financial penalty. Farage was fined £576 and ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the victim. He must also pay a £230 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs, bringing the total to £1,091. No custodial sentence was imposed, and perhaps most controversially, he was not placed on the sex offenders register.
The reason given by authorities is technical but revealing. Because the victim was over the age of 18, there is no automatic requirement for offenders convicted of upskirting to be added to the register. While magistrates retain discretion in such cases, no further action was taken. The outcome has raised uncomfortable questions about sentencing consistency and whether the law, only six years old, is already failing to deliver the deterrent effect campaigners hoped for.
Joseph Farage runs an electrical business in Kent and is the father of two children. His family connection to one of Britain’s most prominent right-wing politicians has inevitably drawn attention, even though Nigel Farage himself has made no public comment on the case. Nevertheless, the political context is hard to ignore. Reform UK figures, including Farage, have repeatedly warned of “two-tier policing” and alleged leniency driven by political correctness. In this instance, however, critics argue the leniency appears to run in the opposite direction, benefiting a man linked to power and prominence.
The case also sits awkwardly alongside the broader parliamentary record on sexual offences. The criminalisation of upskirting was delayed for years after being blocked in Parliament by a Conservative MP, despite widespread support. That history, combined with this outcome, is likely to reinforce public cynicism about how seriously such crimes are treated.
For Reform UK, already grappling with poor by-election results and internal tensions, the conviction of the leader’s nephew is another reputational blow. More importantly, for campaigners and victims, it is a reminder that while upskirting is now a crime in name, the consequences for offenders may still fall short of reflecting the harm inflicted.
