The Labour Party has formally requested that the Electoral Commission investigate Nigel Farage over financial support provided by a convicted fraudster. The Reform UK leader is under scrutiny following reports that long-term ally George Cottrell supplied funding for security and staffing in the year before Farage was elected as an MP in 2024.
Labour's Letter to the Electoral Commission
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley wrote to the Electoral Commission, urging an investigation into whether the support should have been declared. Turley argued that Farage was a prominent figure in Reform UK even before returning to frontline politics. She also questioned whether Cottrell, who is based in Montenegro, was a permissible donor, noting it was unclear if he was on a UK electoral register at the time.
In her letter, Turley stated: “It is now abundantly clear that Mr Farage may have not only broken Parliamentary rules, he may have broken the law. Farage can’t brazenly brush this off as being ‘none of your business’ any longer. He needs to own his self-inflicted scandal and prove he’s not been secretly breaking the rules and taking the British public for fools.”
Farage's Response and Trump's Support
Farage has denied any wrongdoing, calling the investigation an “establishment hit job.” He appeared to gain backing from US President Donald Trump, who shared an article on his Truth Social platform titled “They’re Running the 2024 Anti-Trump Playbook on Nigel Farage.” Trump also personally called Farage to congratulate him on his political success in ousting Sir Keir Starmer from No 10, according to The Times.
Farage reacted angrily when approached by a Sky News journalist at an airport, threatening “serious consequences” if his family was harassed. Sky News confirmed it had not contacted any of Farage’s family members about the story.
Details of the Support
Under parliamentary rules in place at the time of Farage’s election, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 received in the previous 12 months, unless the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities. According to The Sunday Times, Cottrell recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage’s social media before the general election and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property near Buckingham Palace.
The Liberal Democrats have also called for an inquiry by Parliament’s standards commissioner, who is already investigating a £5 million gift Farage received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Background on George Cottrell
George Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after pleading guilty to wire fraud for attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer. He was arrested while traveling back to Britain with Farage after a trip to the US. Cottrell first became involved with UKIP as a volunteer before the Brexit referendum and remains a close adviser to Farage.
Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick described Cottrell as an “old friend” of Farage with “no formal role within Reform.” Farage issued a statement on Sunday saying he had followed the rules and was considering legal action against The Sunday Times.
