Britain's richest plumber and Reform donor Charlie Mullins threatened with being stripped of OBE after calling for migrants to be 'sent back to the jungle'

Charlie Mullins was threatened with being stripped of his OBE for a second time after calling for Channel migrants to be 'sent back to the jungle'.

The Honours Forfeiture Committee wrote to the multi-millionaire plumber after a member of the public claimed the tweet was racist, even though he maintains that 'the jungle' was a reference to migrant camps in northern France.

Mr Mullins was first accused by the committee of bringing the honours system into disrepute in September 2024 over a series of posts on X.

The Pimlico Plumbers founder, who fled the UK for Marbella to escape Labour's tax rises, was later told no action would be taken after submissions from his lawyers - including a pledge to undertake 'gender sensitivity and diversity training'. 

This June, the prominent Reform supporter received another letter from the committee informing him that he was being investigated over a tweet about the small boats crisis. 

It read: 'Paying tax does not bother me I've paid over £ 100 m 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.'

Charlie Mullins now lives in a luxury villa in Marbella after fleeing Labour's tax raids 

The Honours Forfeiture Committee wrote to Mr Mullins after a member of the public claimed the tweet was racist. He maintains that 'the jungle' was a reference to migrant camps in France

The member of the public who reported Mr Mullins claimed the phrase 'send them back to the jungle' was racist. 

But he pointed out that migrant shanty towns around Calais and Dunkirk have often been referred to as 'jungles', most notably the notorious 'Calais Jungle', which existed from 2015 to 2016. 

Mr Mullins told the Mail: 'They were trying to claim I was being racist by using the word "jungle", but that's what everyone refers to these camps as - including all the newspapers.

'The person who reported it was obviously just looking for something to take the OBE away.

'It's stupidity. When I said "Send them back to the jungle" I meant the migrant camps. I'm told they're not very nice to live in and that's exactly what I meant. Then by ponces, I meant the illegals scrounging off taxpayers.'

Lawyers for Mr Mullins responded to the committee's letter with a 26-page document explaining the context of the tweet and setting out the case for why he should retain his OBE, which he was awarded in 2015 for services to plumbing. 

While the committee has now said it will be dropping the case, Mr Mullins claims he is being victimised because of his political beliefs.

'They've now tried twice to take my OBE away,' he said.

'I get on very well with the King. I've seen him a few times and we always have a good chat about plumbing.

'I don't think it's come from him personally. It's the Labour government. It's politically motivated.

'It's victimisation and it's quite aggressive. Every time this happens it costs me money in legal fees, and they're not cheap.'

The Forfeiture Committee is convened on an ad hoc basis by the Prime Minister and chaired by senior civil servant Dame Sarah Healey.

In its first letter to Mr Mullins in September, it raised concerns about a post on X in which he had said 'someone should kill' London Mayor Sadiq Khan during a discussion about London's Ulez scheme.

It also highlighted a comment about Carol Vorderman on GB News, remarks about not wanting to employ transgender people and accusations he made a racist joke at the British curry awards. 

In response, Mr Mullins insisted the threshold for forfeiture had not been met and argued that his comments were protected by the right to freedom of expression.

His lawyers said the businessman had been struggling with mental health issues at the time of the remarks and had apologised.

In interviews, he accused then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer of orchestrating a politically motivated attack.

Migrant camps around Calais and Dunkirk have often been referred to as 'jungles', most notably the notorious 'Calais Jungle' (pictured), which existed from 2015 to 2016

Mr Mullins received his OBE in the 2015 New Year Honours while David Cameron was prime minister.

At the time, he was a supporter of the Conservatives and donated £22,735 to the party that year.

But in 2024, he said he was leaving the UK to avoid what he described as Rachel Reeves' 'tax raids', opting instead to invest his money in property in Spain and Dubai.

Mr Mullins vowed not to return to the UK unless Nigel Farage became Prime Minister. However, he now says he may remain in Spain even under a Reform government because of his concerns about the direction and condition of Britain.

He also vowed that his new plumbing and home-services company, WeFix, would not serve Labour MPs.

'We won't work for any Labour MPs. We don't go near Leftists or woke people,' he added.

A Government spokesman said previously: 'Claims that the Forfeiture Committee is politically motivated are completely unfounded and inaccurate.

'The Forfeiture Committee is entirely apolitical and no ministers or political appointees are involved in any of its decision making.'