Nigel Farage will face a watchdog inquiry to decide whether he broke the rules by failing to declare a £5million gift from a cryptocurrency tycoon. The Reform UK leader took the money from billionaire party backer Christopher Harborne before he became an MP.
His opponents say he should have declared the seven-figure gift in his register of interests in 2024. The Conservative Party wrote to the standards watchdog to request an investigation. Following confirmation of the probe, the Tories said the gift was “an enormous amount, more than most people will earn in a lifetime”.
A party spokesman said Mr Farage needed to “explain how he got it, why he got it, and why he didn’t declare it”.
He added: “If there is a simple answer, then he should welcome these investigations. But like so often with Reform, there is something very fishy about the whole story.”
But Reform UK hit back at any suggestion of wrongdoing, with a party spokesman telling the press that Mr Farage’s office was “in communications” with the watchdog.
He added that the Clacton MP had “always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken”.
The spokesman said Reform UK “look forward to this being put to bed once and for all”.
Mr Farage has long claimed that the gift was intended to pay for his security after a number of attacks were threatened or carried out against him.
During the 2024 General Election campaign, an OnlyFans contributor threw a milkshake over him.
In a separate incident, Mr Farage said someone had tried to firebomb his home.
However, Labour chairwoman Anna Turley stuck the boot in on Mr Farage, saying that he had been “avoiding legitimate questions since news of his billionaire backer’s ‘gift’”.
She added that it was “right that he faces a proper investigation”.
Her party is currently in the grips of a leadership crisis as a growing number of Left-wing MPs call on the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to step aside.
Ms Turley argued that “Farage and Reform clearly believe it’s one rule for them, and another for everyone else” as she claimed “they are not on your side”.