Reform UK leader Nigel Farage became visibly rattled during a BBC Breakfast interview when questioned about an undeclared £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, which he received in 2024 shortly before announcing his general election candidacy.
Watchdog Investigation
Parliament's sleaze watchdog has launched an investigation into Farage's failure to declare the seven-figure sum from the Thailand-based tycoon. Parliamentary rules require new MPs to disclose relevant gifts and donations from the previous 12 months. Farage claimed in a previous interview that the gift only became public because his phone was hacked by Russian operatives, but he has provided no evidence to support this assertion.
When asked if the controversy cost his party the Makerfield by-election, Farage responded: "No one cares, apart from the media, no one cares. No one cares at all." When reminded that the Parliamentary standards watchdog cares enough to investigate, he said: "You're right. There's been a complaint received, a complaint from the Conservative Party chairman. They're investigating it. We'll see what they're saying. I'm absolutely convinced I've done nothing wrong in any way at all."
Farage's Defense
Farage defended his actions by noting that since becoming an MP, he has taken zero in personal expenses. "I'm very careful and very cautious about these things. I believe it to be a wholly private matter. The standards commissioner may take a different view," he said. He has offered varying explanations for the gift, initially saying it was for security costs, later describing it as a reward for his Brexit campaigning.
Asked specifically what the gift was for, Farage said: "Let's be clear, it's an unconditional gift. I can spend it on cars if I want to. It's entirely up to me, right. But there is a specific reason for this. I have been physically the most attacked and endangered politician in Britain for now well over a decade. At every stage during that time, when I've asked the state to help and support, most times they have point blank refused."
Personal Spending Questions
When pressed on how much of the gift he had spent, Farage retorted: "It's none of your business," before asking the interviewer: "How much of your salary do you spend on beer, on petrol? It's none of your business." He stated he did not regret failing to declare the gift and claimed voters would not care if he had £5 million in his bank account.
In a separate interview with LBC, Farage characterized the gift as a "reward for giving up a quarter of a century of my life, giving up a huge income in the City of London, putting up with lots of abuse." He denied reports that he purchased a property shortly after receiving the money, saying: "No, they can lie all they like, as I say, if I'm seen buying a round of drinks in a pub, they will say it came from that, it's irrelevant." He added: "As for the property thing, that was completed, that was agreed, and the money was checked well before."
