The SNP has called on Malcolm Offord, the leader of Reform UK in Scotland, to explain whether cryptocurrency donations are funding the party's activities north of the Border. The demand comes amid an ongoing investigation into Nigel Farage's failure to declare a £5 million gift from billionaire cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne, Reform's largest financial backer, shortly before becoming an MP.
Transparency Concerns Over Donations
SNP MSP Stuart McMillan said it was in the "interests of transparency" for Offord to reveal whether donations from Harborne and George Cottrell, a longtime Farage ally convicted of wire fraud in the US in 2017, have been used to support Reform UK in Scotland. Cottrell reportedly paid for Farage's staff and security before the 2024 general election.
McMillan stated: "In the interests of transparency, Lord Offord must now set out whether he and the party he leads in Scotland has also accepted money from these donors or if any of their money has been used to fund Reform's activities in Scotland." He added that Reform UK is "clearly up to its neck in crypto cash" and called for answers on whether "dark monies" are funding the entire party.
Offord's Defense of Farage
Offord has defended Farage, claiming he is the victim of an "establishment stitch-up" and has done "nothing wrong." Speaking earlier this week, Offord said he did not know the full circumstances of the financial support given to Farage but insisted the gift from Harborne was unconditional and given before Farage decided to stand as an MP. Regarding Cottrell, Offord described him as a "personal friend" of Farage and said the Reform leader is an "international figure" who meets "interesting people."
Offord's comments came after Farage resigned his seat in Clacton to force a by-election next month, a contest boycotted by all other major parties. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called the move a "political stunt," while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded it a "gimmick." Serial by-election candidate Count Binface has announced he will stand against Farage, leading McMillan to quip that Farage will spend his summer "debating a bin."
Broader Implications for Reform UK
The SNP's demand highlights ongoing scrutiny of Reform UK's funding sources. McMillan argued that "Reform has poisoned our society" and warned that under the current Labour government, the UK is "hurtling towards a Nigel Farage run regime." He reiterated the SNP's position that Scotland's future lies as an independent nation within the EU, describing it as "our only path to a Farage free future."
The Record approached Reform UK for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
