Politics · United Kingdom · 3 hrs ago
Committee drops second OBE case against Charlie Mullins over migrant tweet
The Honours Forfeiture Committee has dropped its case against Charlie Mullins over a tweet about Channel migrants.
A member of the public complained that Mullins’s call to send migrants “back to the jungle” was racist.
Mullins said he meant migrant camps in northern France, which have been called “jungles,” including the former Calais Jungle.
His lawyers sent the committee a 26-page document arguing that he should keep his OBE.
Mullins received the OBE in 2015 for services to plumbing.
This was the second time the committee had examined whether his comments justified taking the honour away; an earlier case ended with no action after he pledged to undertake diversity training.
The Honours Forfeiture Committee has dropped its second case against Charlie Mullins over a tweet about migrants.
A member of the public complained that Mullins’s phrase “sent back to the jungle” was racist.
Mullins said he meant migrant camps in northern France, which have been referred to as “jungles”.
The committee began investigating the tweet after writing to Mullins in June 2026.
Mullins was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to plumbing.
- Who
- The Honours Forfeiture Committee and Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers.
- What
- The committee dropped a case over a tweet in which Mullins called for migrants to be sent “back to the jungle”.
- When
- The case was dropped by 3 November 2026. The committee wrote to Mullins in June 2026.
- Where
- The tweet referred to migrant camps in northern France.
- Why
- A member of the public complained that the tweet was racist. Mullins said “the jungle” referred to migrant camps.
Member of the public who complained
Charlie Mullins
Meaning of “jungle
Member of the public who complained
The complainant said the phrase “send them back to the jungle” was racist.
Charlie Mullins
Mullins said he meant migrant camps in northern France, which are often referred to as “jungles”.
The committee first accused Mullins of bringing the honours system into disrepute over a series of posts on X.
The committee told Mullins that no action would be taken after submissions from his lawyers.
The committee wrote to Mullins to say it was investigating a tweet about the small boats crisis.
The committee had dropped the second case against Mullins.
- Award
- OBE in 2015 for services to plumbing
- First case
- September 2024, over posts on X
- Second case
- A tweet about the small boats crisis
- Committee letter
- June 2026
- Lawyers’ response
- 26-page document
What people are saying
When I said "Send them back to the jungle" I meant the migrant camps.
They've now tried twice to take my OBE away,