Farage and Badenoch vie for Meloni's favour
UK right-wing leaders Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are competing for the approval of Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni after a disputed report about advice she allegedly gave Badenoch.
Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who have spent years trading insults while competing for the same right-wing voters, now find themselves in an unusual rivalry — over who is closer to Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
The dispute began on Monday when the Times reported that Meloni had privately advised Badenoch, during a Rome meeting, against striking a deal with Farage to unite Britain's right. Following complaints from Reform UK and reportedly from Meloni's own team, the article was amended to drop that claim.
Sources close to Farage told the Guardian that Meloni spoke with him this week, apologising for the confusion and congratulating him on his recent byelection win in Clacton. A Reform source said Meloni's team had expressed frustration and disappointment over how the episode unfolded. Meloni's office said she does not wish to involve herself in domestic disputes between British political parties.
Earlier in the week, after her Rome visit, Badenoch had posted a celebratory photo with Meloni online, praising the Italian leader's blunt, no-nonsense style. But the ensuing controversy overshadowed the moment. An ally of Badenoch said Reform was exploiting a miscommunication to manufacture a controversy.
Former Conservative frontbencher turned Reform MP Robert Jenrick accused Badenoch of fabricating claims about the meeting, while Farage noted that no direct quote from Meloni herself had ever surfaced. A Conservative spokesperson countered that Reform was inventing conspiracy theories to distract from a donation scandal involving the party.
Meloni, known for her anti-immigration stance and social conservatism, took power in Italy in 2022 and has since risen in international influence, regularly appearing on prominent power-ranking lists. Her government is set to become Italy's longest-serving in the republic's history come September, and she continues to lead in polls ahead of next year's election.
Meloni has recently clashed publicly with US President Donald Trump, including over his remarks about the pope, but this has not stopped Farage from continuing to cultivate his relationship with her.
