Nigel Farage is facing mounting pressure to be investigated by the parliamentary standards watchdog after it emerged he failed to declare a £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire. The Reform UK leader received the sum from Thailand-based tycoon Christopher Harborne shortly before entering Parliament, but did not list it in the register of members' interests.
Donation Details and Rules
Parliamentary rules require new MPs to declare all donations and gifts received in the 12 months prior to their election. Mr Farage, who became an MP for Clacton, has claimed the money was a personal gift used to fund his security. He told The Telegraph that the Home Office had repeatedly refused his requests for state-funded protection, and that the donation was necessary for his safety after his home was firebombed.
According to reports, Mr Harborne made the donation before Mr Farage announced his candidacy. The billionaire, who also goes by the Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit, has donated £22 million to Reform UK since 2019 and £1.6 million to the Conservative Party. He holds a 12% stake in the cryptocurrency Tether.
Political Reactions
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake has referred Mr Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, stating: "As a new Member of Parliament, Mr Farage was obliged to report all political donations and gifts received during the previous 12 months. This £5 million from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne raises serious questions."
Labour MP Anna Turley added: "Nigel Farage appears to have broken the rules again by failing to declare this cash from his billionaire backer. It’s simply not good enough for Reform to gloss over these egregious acts and further erode public trust in politics."
Reform UK's Response
A Reform UK spokesman defended the donation, saying: "This was a personal unconditional gift given before he was elected. We are confident everything has been declared in accordance with the rules." However, the MPs' code of conduct mandates that such benefits must be registered within one month of election.
Critics have also called for a cap on political donations. Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: "It’s becoming harder to ignore the growing weight that extremely wealthy donors appear to carry in British politics. The government must act urgently, capping individual donations at £100,000, to protect the sanctity of our politics."
Mr Farage has faced physical attacks in the past, including having milkshakes and a rock thrown at him during the 2024 general election campaign. He claims the donation is necessary for his ongoing security, stating: "I would rather not be discussing any of this, but I am having to because someone has got hold of material about my private finances, which is outrageous."
