A British parliament watchdog is investigating Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for allegedly accepting a large donation, the British public broadcaster BBC reports. He allegedly did not declare the gift of 5 million pounds (more than 5.7 million euros).
Journalist at HLN
Source: ANP, The Guardian
Farage says he was under no obligation to report the donation because he personally received it before becoming an MP. Opponents say he should have declared the gift when he was elected to the House of Commons in 2024.
Parliament’s regulations state that all gifts from the twelve months before the election must also be reported, unless they are “purely personal”, such as family gifts.
According to Farage, the millions were intended to pay for his security
Farage received the donation from billionaire Christopher Harborne, newspaper ‘The Guardian’ revealed at the end of last month. That crypto businessman is known as a supporter of Reform UK. According to the newspaper, ‘Mr Brexit’ Farage decided to take part in the elections after the gift, after previously ruling it out.
The former MEP is known as ‘Mr Brexit’ because of his years of efforts to get the United Kingdom out of the European Union. His platform, the Brexit Party, was transformed into the current Reform UK party in 2021. Farage decided to leave politics that year, but returned in 2024. The question is whether the aforementioned donation played a role in this.
Possible suspension
According to Farage, the millions of euros were intended to pay for his security. Richard Tice, vice-chairman of Reform UK, said on Sunday that the multi-million dollar donation was “probably not enough” to guarantee Farage’s safety. A spokesperson for the party now says it is in contact with the watchdog and looks forward to clarifying the matter.
The investigation was opened after the Conservatives went to parliament’s watchdog. Labor also supports the investigation: “Nigel Farage has been dodging legitimate questions since the news of the ‘gift’ from his billionaire lender. He is right to undergo a proper investigation. Farage and Reform seem to think that different rules apply to them than to the rest,” said Anna Turley, leader of the Labor Party.
If it turns out that Farage has indeed broken the rules of the House of Commons, he could be suspended as an MP. It could also lead to a new election in Farage’s constituency.
