Britain's richest plumber, Charlie Mullins, faced potential revocation of his OBE after remarks on social media calling for migrants to be "sent back to the jungle." The Honours Forfeiture Committee contacted Mullins after a complaint that his statement was racist. Mullins, a prominent supporter of the Reform UK party, maintains that "the jungle" was a reference to migrant camps in northern France.
Mullins had previously been investigated by the committee in September 2024 for other social media posts that allegedly brought the honors system into disrepute. His lawyers submitted documentation, including a pledge to undertake diversity training, and at that time, no action was taken.
This most recent inquiry stemmed from a June letter concerning his tweet about the small boats crisis. The specific post read: "Paying tax does not bother me I've paid over £100m in personal tax in my lifetime, What bothers me what they spend our tax on anybody but English, They will. never get another penny off of me to give all the illegals and the ponces, Send them back to the jungle."
Mullins told the Mail that the phrase "jungle" referred to the migrant camps, which he described as not being pleasant places to live. He also stated that "ponces" referred to individuals he considers to be "illegals scrounging off taxpayers."
His legal team provided a 26-page response to the committee, explaining the context of the tweet and arguing for his retention of the OBE, which he received in 2015 for services to plumbing. The committee has since stated it will drop the case. Mullins, however, claims he is being victimized due to his political beliefs, suggesting the actions are politically motivated and costly due to legal fees.
The Honours Forfeiture Committee, convened by the Prime Minister and chaired by a senior civil servant, previously raised concerns about Mullins' comments on London Mayor Sadiq Khan, remarks about Carol Vorderman, and statements regarding transgender people and a racist joke.
Mullins, who now resides in Marbella, stated he fled the UK to escape Labour's tax policies. He had vowed not to return to the UK unless Nigel Farage became Prime Minister but expressed concerns about the country's direction, suggesting he might remain in Spain regardless.
A government spokesperson previously stated that claims of the Forfeiture Committee being politically motivated are "completely unfounded and inaccurate," asserting that the committee is apolitical and involves no political appointees in its decision-making process.