Britain’s Richest Plumber Charlie Mullins Faces Losing His OBE After Making a Shocking Comment About Migrants Crossing to the UK

Britain’s richest plumber, Charlie Mullins, has faced another threat of losing his OBE after making controversial comments about migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The millionaire businessman, who founded Pimlico Plumbers, came under investigation after he said migrants entering Britain illegally should be sent back to the “jungle”.

His comments caused anger after a member of the public complained that the language he used was racist. The complaint was passed to the Honours Forfeiture Committee, which considers whether people should lose honours they have received from the King or Queen.

However, Mullins has now been told that no further action will be taken against him. The decision came after his lawyers submitted a detailed 26-page document explaining what he meant by his comments.

Mullins, who supports Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, strongly denied making a racist statement. He explained that when he used the word “jungle”, he was talking about migrant camps in northern France, particularly the former Calais Jungle camp.

The Calais Jungle was a large migrant camp in France where thousands of people lived while hoping to reach Britain. The camp became widely known because of its difficult living conditions before it was cleared by French authorities in 2016.

The latest controversy began after Mullins published a message on X, formerly Twitter, criticising how the British Government was dealing with illegal immigration and the money being spent on migrants.

In the post, which has since been deleted, he said he had paid more than £100 million in personal taxes during his lifetime and was unhappy about how the Government was spending taxpayers’ money.

He complained that money was being used to support migrants rather than helping British people. He also used insulting language to describe people he believed were depending on public funds.

Mullins ended his message by calling for migrants to be sent back to the jungle.

His choice of words led to the complaint, with the person who reported him arguing that the statement was racist.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mullins defended himself and said his comments had been taken out of context.

He explained that the term “jungle” had been widely used by newspapers and other people when referring to migrant camps in France.

According to him, he was not referring to anyone’s race or background. He said he was simply talking about the camps where migrants had been staying before attempting to cross the Channel.

Mullins also suggested that the person who complained about him was deliberately trying to find a reason for his OBE to be taken away.

He described the situation as ridiculous and insisted that there was nothing racist about what he had said.

The businessman further explained that when he used the word “ponces”, he was referring to migrants he believed were living at the expense of British taxpayers.

Mullins received his OBE in 2015 in recognition of his contribution to the plumbing industry. He built Pimlico Plumbers into one of Britain’s best-known plumbing companies and became a wealthy businessman.

But this is not the first time his public comments have put his honour at risk.

In September 2024, the Honours Forfeiture Committee also examined several controversial statements he had made.

One of the most serious involved a social media post about London Mayor Sadiq Khan during a discussion about the Ultra Low Emission Zone, commonly known as Ulez.

During that discussion, Mullins wrote that someone should kill the London mayor, a statement that raised serious concerns.

The committee also considered other remarks he had made about television presenter Carol Vorderman, transgender employees and an allegation involving a racist joke at the British Curry Awards.

At the time, his legal representatives argued that his behaviour did not meet the conditions required for someone to lose an OBE.

They also raised concerns about freedom of expression and referred to mental health difficulties he had experienced during that period.

After reviewing the matter, the committee decided not to remove his honour.

Now, following the latest investigation into his comments about migrants, Mullins has accused the authorities of repeatedly targeting him because of his political opinions.

He pointed out that there had been two attempts to take away his OBE and suggested that the investigations were connected to his opposition to the Labour Government.

Mullins believes he is being treated unfairly because he openly criticises Labour and supports Reform UK.

However, the Government has previously rejected suggestions that decisions about removing honours are influenced by political disagreements.

Officials have explained that the Honours Forfeiture Committee operates independently and that ministers and political appointees do not take part in its decisions.

The committee is chaired by senior civil servant Dame Sarah Healey and is brought together when cases need to be considered.

Mullins has become increasingly outspoken about British politics in recent years.

He was previously a financial supporter of the Conservative Party but later switched his support to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

He has also strongly criticised Labour’s tax policies and moved to Marbella in Spain.

Despite leaving Britain, Mullins continues to speak publicly about immigration, government spending and political decisions affecting the country.

He has also made it clear that his new plumbing and home-services company, WeFix, will not provide services to Labour MPs.

The businessman said his company would not work for Labour politicians or people he describes as left-wing or woke.

His latest comments have once again brought attention to his political views and the way he expresses them publicly.

While some people may see his remarks as part of his right to criticise government immigration policies, others believe the language used when discussing migrants can be offensive and harmful.

For now, Mullins will keep his OBE after the committee decided not to take further action over his latest comments.

The businessman continues to deny that his statement was racist and maintains that he was referring specifically to migrant camps in France rather than attacking people because of their race or nationality.