Defence Secretary John Healey has written to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage demanding transparency over a £5m gift from billionaire businessman Christopher Harborne. Healey specifically asked whether any of the sum could be linked to profits from Russian state-linked energy companies or the conflict with Iran.
In the letter, seen by the Guardian, Healey pressed Farage to confirm that none of the money derived from transactions with Russian-linked firms and that Harborne's company, AML Global, had fully complied with sanctions on Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He also questioned whether Farage was aware that his initial support for US-Israeli attacks on Iran could have boosted AML Global's revenues through rising aviation fuel prices.
Farage received the £5m from Harborne, a British-Thai dual national based in Thailand, shortly before the 2024 general election. He did not disclose the gift at the time, arguing it was an unconditional gift received before he announced his parliamentary candidacy. However, the Conservative Party lodged a complaint, and the parliamentary standards watchdog is now investigating whether Farage should have declared it.
Healey's letter noted that AML Global supplies jet fuel across 1,200 locations worldwide, including in central Asia, the Gulf, and eastern Europe. He asked Farage to commit to an independent audit of AML Global's supply chain if he could not confidently answer the questions. Healey added that the situation places Reform UK under a 'Russian cloud' that only transparency can lift.
An AML Global spokesperson stated the company complies fully with all UK and international sanctions and screens all business partners against sanction databases. Healey emphasised that his letter was not an allegation but a request for answers in the public interest.
