The Labour Party has written to Nigel Farage urging him to stop “evading reasonable scrutiny” over a £5m personal gift he received from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The letter coincides with the approval of a planning application revealing Farage’s plans to transform a dilapidated Kent property into a luxury beachfront residence.
Farage is under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner after the Guardian revealed he received the gift weeks before reversing his decision not to stand as an MP in the 2024 general election. He was subsequently elected as MP for Clacton in Essex. His regular press conferences have ceased since the story broke in April.
Anna Turley, Labour Party chair, accused Farage of “running from scrutiny”. She said: “It’s time he ended his deafening silence and came clean with the public as to what’s gone on here. He can’t keep dodging questions and changing his story.” Farage initially claimed the gift was for personal security, then said he considered it a reward for campaigning for Brexit. He insists no declaration was needed as he was not an MP at the time.
Details emerged of Farage’s plans to overhaul a beachfront house in Kent, purchased by his company Thorn in the Side Ltd in March 2023 for £575,000. Proposed works include a large extension, four bedrooms, a sea-view balcony, and six bathrooms, potentially costing up to £700,000 and increasing the property’s value to £1.5m. In May, Farage personally paid £1.4m for a Surrey home with no mortgage, which Reform says was funded by his £1.5m fee from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
A spokesperson for Farage stated that the initial planning application for the Kent house began in November 2023, before the gift was made. Regarding the Surrey house, a Reform spokesperson said it was not bought with the gift, citing anti-money laundering checks carried out before the gift was received. The spokesperson added: “Nigel has multiple sources of income, as you can see from his parliamentary register.”
