The Electoral Commission is assessing allegations that Nigel Farage overspent on his Clacton election campaign by £9,000, following a complaint from Labour. The watchdog confirmed it is reviewing the claims, which were raised by a whistleblower who told the Daily Telegraph that Reform UK failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills and a bar refurbishment in its Clacton office.
Labour chair Anna Turley has called on Farage to “urgently come out of hiding” and explain whether his party exceeded the £20,660 spending limit for the constituency. In a letter to the commission, Turley warned that if undeclared spending was included in Reform’s national return, or if national spending was omitted, the party’s overall return could be inaccurate.
The whistleblower, Richard Everett, a former Reform councillor and member of Farage’s campaign team, alleges the official returns came just £400 under the cap, and the undeclared items would have pushed spending above the limit. Essex police are also assessing the allegations, after a referral from the Metropolitan Police.
Reform UK has strenuously denied the claims, with a spokesperson describing Everett as a “disgruntled former councillor”. Everett defected from the Conservatives to Reform last year and now sits as an independent. Turley has urged Farage to address the matter personally, calling the allegations “incredibly serious”.
