Nigel Farage has admitted breaching parliamentary rules by failing to register a trip to Florida to headline a fundraising event for Donald Trump. The Reform UK leader was the main speaker at a $500-a-head Republican party dinner in Tallahassee in March.
Under parliamentary rules, MPs must register any visits outside the UK costing more than £300 unless wholly paid for by themselves or public funds, and must report any fees or payments in kind within 28 days. Farage said the failure was due to an error by his office, claiming he had emailed details but they were not added to the register. He said a correction and apology would be made.
In his statement, Farage said the trip was "remunerated in three separate instalments over the course of two months" but did not say who had paid for it, adding that he had covered his own travel costs. Promotional material for the event showed VIP tickets at $25,000, which included a photograph with the Clacton MP.
The disclosure prompted criticism from opposition politicians. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Farage needs to "come clean on who's bankrolling his trips abroad", while Labour party chair Anna Turley accused him of "jetting off abroad to call for sanctions against our country" instead of representing constituents.
It also emerged that Farage missed Prime Minister's Questions the day before the dinner. The admission follows scrutiny of his purchase of a house in Clacton, which was bought by his long-term partner, saving an estimated £44,000 in stamp duty; his lawyers have denied any underpayment.
