Labour chair Anna Turley has given Nigel Farage 24 hours to report his alleged phone hacking by Russian-linked actors to the police, or Labour will do it for him. In a letter to the Reform UK leader, Turley stated it was "in the public and national interest" to ensure a proper investigation into the suspected hostile-state operation.
Farage claimed in a Sunday newspaper that "foreign state actors", likely serving Moscow, hacked his phone and leaked information about a £5m gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Reform UK said the incident was reported to "the relevant authorities", but did not specify which ones.
Turley also asked Farage to explain why Harborne gave him the money before the 2024 general election. Farage initially said it was for security, but later described it as a reward for his Brexit campaigning. The parliamentary commissioner for standards is investigating whether Farage broke rules by not declaring the gift.
Ciaran Martin, former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, called Farage's claim "entirely unsubstantiated" and urged him to formally report it. Labour's letter warned that if no confirmation is received within 24 hours, the party will report the matter to police and national security authorities based on Farage's public statements.
