London, United Kingdom. A spokesperson for Nigel Farage denied allegations that the Reform UK leader may have broken parliamentary rules after the Sunday Times reported he had not declared some benefits provided to him. Farage is already under investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog over whether he should have declared a £5 million donation received before entering parliament.
Sunday Times report
The Sunday Times reported that, in the year before his election, Farage was provided with security services, social media support and accommodation by George Cottrell, a long-standing ally.
The newspaper said Cottrell went to prison in the United States in 2017 after pleading guilty to wire fraud and was also involved in cryptocurrency.
Response from Farage’s camp
Farage’s spokesperson described the report as “baseless and contrived”.
“Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken,” the spokesperson said.
Existing investigation
Farage is already being investigated by parliament’s standards watchdog over whether he should have declared a £5 million ($6.7 million) donation from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne that he received before entering parliament.
Farage has said the money was an unconditional gift and exempt from disclosure rules. He has also said it was intended to fund his personal security.
Disclosure rules and political scrutiny
Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the previous 12 months, although personal gifts are exempt.
The right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party tops national opinion polls, making Farage a possible future prime minister after a 2029 election and increasing scrutiny of the party and its leader’s finances.
Britain’s health minister James Murray told the BBC on Sunday: “I think quite a lot of questions come up in relation to his (Farage’s) finances. He seems to have a bit of a flexible relationship with transparency.”
