Starmer: X is responsible for fake Farage and Bailey fight images
Sir Keir Starmer has said tech firms must take responsibility for fake images depicting a brawl between Nigel Farage and Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey.
Multiple AI-generated images of Farage and Bailey fighting have been spread on X, with the links appearing to lead to a scam.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said “there is a responsibility for the tech firms and platforms to tackle misinformation and disinformation”.
He added that images circulating online were “sadly one example”.
Bailey said the posts, which were linked to investment scams, were “designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online”.
Farage labelled the videos “bizarre”, adding: “Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!”
The fake images posted on anonymous profiles appear to show Farage shouting at Bailey, throwing a glass of water at him and punching him on a blurry BBC Question Time set.
One organisation, Full Fact, uncovered 100 posts depicting a fight between Bailey and Farage.
The AI-generated images appear to capitalise on tensions between Bailey and Farage over the last year.
The pair have come to blows over the Bank of England’s bond-selling programme, which has cost taxpayers billions of pounds, as well as stablecoin regulation.
Farage has lobbied the Bank of England governor to ease red tape on digital currencies and previously called him a “dinosaur”.
He also met Bailey at the end of last year as the Bank of England head also held meetings with several political leaders.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Farage teased that he would look to replace Bailey if he became Prime Minister before adding that he would like a pro-Brexit governor.
The Reform UK leader has faced criticism over his apparent threats to the Bank of England’s independence, with the main political parties in Westminster warning that it could lead to further financial instability in the UK.
He has also faced intense scrutiny over backing crypto firms after it was revealed he was given a £5m personal donation by Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before he was elected to parliament in 2024.
Meanwhile, Starmer is attempting to manage a balancing act between tech regulation and growth, with the Prime Minister giving firms a three-month deadline to stop explicit images being sent.
He is also expected to announce a crackdown on children’s access to social media as soon as next week, which could feature a ban on under-16s using sites.