Red Square to Red-Faced: Reform's Russian Scandal and Racism Row

The Trawl

Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

News, Politics, Government

4.7 • 867 Ratings

🗓️ 28 November 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dive into the political earthquake shaking Reform UK after former Welsh leader Nathan Gill was jailed for taking bribes linked to pro-Russian interests. With the party insisting there’s no need for an internal investigation, social media has been left... unconvinced.

We pick through the online reaction, the disbelief, and the dark humour as Westminster scrambles to respond. From Farage’s denials over his own past controversies to questions about transparency inside Reform, the timeline is an absolute mess and the internet has thoughts.

Plus: the memes, the meltdowns, and the moments that defined a week where one conviction sets off a political chain reaction.

Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast

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Transcript

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0:00.0	We now take a look at the local news in your area.
0:03.2	Everything is shit, but this time closer to your house.
0:06.0	Thank you.
0:06.7	Thank you.
0:07.2	Thank you.
0:23.0	Hello and welcome to The Troll, the podcast where we doomscroll professionally.
0:27.7	If you thought last week was unhinged, the internet had a little think and decided,
0:33.7	hold my pint. I'm Marina Perkins. And I'm Jim Forte. God, yeah, you're absolutely correct. I mean, it was only a couple of days ago that we were marvelling that Trump's crush on Mamdami.
0:39.5	It was literally one of my favorite episodes ever where we saw Trump so influenced by the new mayor that he's changed up his wardrobe.
0:46.3	It means Mamdani's like an influencer.
0:48.4	Yeah, he could get like a, he could get like a boo-hoo contract.
0:51.6	And then yesterday we covered the budget.
0:53.7	But today, I feel like for a change,
0:57.1	we're not off to the States and we're not staying here in the UK either, what we sort of are,
1:00.9	but we're adding a Russian twist to proceedings.
1:08.2	Nice. Yes. Here at the Troll, unlike the Laura Coonsberg show, we will be covering the fact that Reform UK's former Welsh leader Nathan Gill has been sentenced to prison for 10 years or accepting Russian bribes.
1:22.8	And maybe we'll also ponder the fact that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he will not investigate
1:29.8	any Russian links within his party stating that he is not a police force.
1:35.0	Ooh, interesting.
1:37.2	And the timing is just so fascinating as well when you think that as reported in The Guardian,
1:43.4	many prominent and maGA personalities on X
1:46.4	are based outside of the US in places, including Russia.
	...

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