Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader, is sharing a £4 million London home with Laure Ferrari, a French politician at the centre of a probe into illegal party funding. The property, a three-bedroom Georgian house in Chelsea, is owned by a businessman.
Ferrari, 15 years younger than the married Farage, was seen putting out bins outside the home last Friday. Farage confirmed she was staying there but denied any affair, calling suggestions 'crackers' and saying he was helping her out.
Ferrari runs the Eurosceptic think-tank Institute for Direct Democracy in Europe (IDDE), which is under investigation for allegedly diverting EU funds to Ukip. The Electoral Commission is probing £400,000 in donations from IDDE and an affiliated group.
Farage said Ferrari needed 'short-term help' with accommodation. She claimed she had nowhere else to go after the European Parliament stopped IDDE's funding. Both denied wrongdoing, with Farage stating they are 'fighting it very hard'.
