Nigel Farage has apologised for 17 breaches of the MPs’ code of conduct after failing to declare £380,000 of income on time, describing himself as an “oddball” who is not computer literate. The Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton said he relied on a senior staff member to submit his income to the register of interests and had been let down, but he took full responsibility for the error.
The undeclared income included payments for his work as a broadcaster for GB News and for social media output on Google and X. Farage blamed “severe growing pains” as Reform UK had been overwhelmed by administration and emails since gaining MPs at the 2024 election. He said there was no intention to deceive and that he had nothing to gain by late declarations.
In his submission to the standards commissioner, Farage said: “Why have payments that have gone into my account been delayed? Well, gross, gross administrative error. I don’t do computers. I’m not, I’m afraid, computer literate, which makes me yet more an oddball than perhaps I was before.” He added that his income was earned “because I am Nigel Farage”.
Standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg found there had been a high number of breaches of high value, but accepted they were inadvertent. Farage previously admitted breaching rules by failing to register a trip to Florida for a Donald Trump fundraising event. A Labour Party spokesperson criticised Farage, saying he was “lining his pockets” and neglecting his constituents, and pledged to tighten rules on MPs’ second jobs.
