Farage Questioned by the Standards Commissioner Over a £5m Gift
Nigel Farage has been interviewed by the parliamentary standards commissioner over whether he should have declared a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, received just before the 2024 election. The half-hour interview last month suggests the inquiry is nearing its end. The Reform UK leader maintains the money was a personal matter, for his security, and did not need to be registered.
If the commissioner finds a serious breach, the standards committee can recommend a sanction; a suspension of more than ten days, if the Commons agreed, could trigger a recall petition in Clacton. The rules require financial support related to an MP’s job to be registered if given in the twelve months before entering Parliament. Reform is also deciding how to spend £72m from Harborne and Ben Delo, while the government legislates to cap overseas donors at £100,000 a year, backdated to March. Farage says the donations have earned him “some grudging respect”.