Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins claims Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to strip him of his OBE over controversial comments, igniting a debate on political motivations and the honours system.
Charlie Mullins, the multimillionaire founder of Pimlico Plumbers, has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of attempting to strip him of his Order of the British Empire (OBE) in response to his controversial comments. The allegations have surfaced following scrutiny from the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which previously expressed concern over Mullins’s remarks potentially undermining the integrity of the honours system.
Mullins initially faced accusations in September 2022, when comments he made led officials to consider recommending that His Majesty revoke his honour. The scrutiny intensified after he made a threatening comment regarding London Mayor Sadiq Khan on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2023, which resulted in his suspension from the platform. Despite this, he was informed last week that no action would be taken against him after he agreed to participate in ‘gender sensitivity and diversity training’.
Commenting on the situation, Mullins claimed that Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has politically motivated intentions behind the effort to revoke his honour. In a statement to the Daily Telegraph, he asserted, “It’s definitely politically motivated. I’m being victimised because I left the UK and said I’m not playing the game with them any more. I’ve also made a big noise that they’re driving billionaires and millionaires, hard-working people, out of the country.” He emphasised his view that these criticisms of his views have been politically driven.
Moreover, Mullins conveyed frustration with the Labour government, alleging that they are trying to “destroy” anyone who speaks out against their policies. The controversy surrounding Mullins has attracted attention from the leader of Reform UK, who has publicly urged the Labour Party to “leave Charlie alone.”
The Forfeiture Committee previously flagged Mullins’s comments, including derogatory remarks he made on GB News regarding media personality Carol Vorderman, as well as accusations of making racist jokes at an awards ceremony. He has also faced allegations concerning comments made about transgender individuals in the workplace. In response, Mullins’s lawyers argued that the conditions for revoking his OBE had not been satisfied, reinforcing that his comments fell within the bounds of freedom of expression. They further noted that Mullins was experiencing mental health challenges when he made the statements and that he has since apologised.
Mullins was awarded his OBE in the New Year Honours of 2015, during David Cameron’s premiership, at a time when he was an active supporter of the Conservative Party, having made a significant financial donation of £22,735 to the party that same year. The ongoing debate surrounding his OBE and his public persona continues to draw attention to the interplay between political criticism, social media conduct, and the honours system in the UK.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.gbnews.com/politics/charlie-mullins-reform-uk-nigel-farage-ben-habib-labour – This article mentions Charlie Mullins, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, and his involvement with Reform UK. It corroborates the political context surrounding Mullins’s public activities and controversies.
- https://www.gbnews.com/politics/reform-uk-donor-charlie-mullins-stripped-obe-politically-motivated-attack-sadiq-khan – This article confirms Charlie Mullins faced criticism for his comments, including threats against London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and was nearly stripped of his OBE. It highlights the controversies surrounding his social media conduct.
- https://www.noahwire.com/ – While not directly available, this source was mentioned as the origin of the article, which discusses the complexities of Charlie Mullins’s situation, including allegations against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and political motivations.
- https://www.gov.uk/honours/forfeiture – Although not directly linked in the search results, this UK Government webpage explains the process for the forfeiture or revocation of honours, which is relevant to Mullins’s situation.
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sadiq-khan-twitter-ban-mullins-b2142178.html – While not found in the search results, similar news sources might discuss Mullins’s suspension from social media platforms due to threatening comments towards Sadiq Khan, which contributed to the scrutiny over his OBE.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative mentions recent events and ongoing scrutiny from 2022 and 2023 regarding Charlie Mullins. However, it does not indicate repeated or recycled news directly. The content appears relatively fresh.
Quotes check
Score:
5
Notes:
The quote attributed to Charlie Mullins in the Daily Telegraph is not verified beyond this narrative. There is no clear indication of its original source or confirmation from other publications.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Daily Mail, a well-known but sometimes controversial publication. While it often provides current news, some readers might question its objectivity.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Charlie Mullins and his interactions with political figures are plausible given his public persona and controversies. The details align with known events and political tensions.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents contemporary content and plausible claims but lacks definitive verification for some quotes and might benefit from additional context regarding source objectivity.
