Nigel Farage Found to Have Breached MPs' Code of Conduct 17 Times Over Late Financial Declarations
The parliamentary standards watchdog has ruled that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage breached the MPs' code of conduct on seventeen separate occasions by failing to register financial interests worth £384,000 within the required timeframe.
Watchdog Investigation Uncovers Multiple Late Declarations
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg concluded an investigation finding that the Clacton MP did not add numerous payments to the register of members' financial interests within the Commons' mandatory 28-day period. The commissioner determined that Mr Farage's failure to report the interests on time was "inadvertent because of staffing and other administrative issues" and decided against referring the matter to the Committee on Standards.
Mr Greenberg stated: "Mr Farage has acknowledged and apologised for his breaches of the rules." The commissioner added that the interests in question would be added to the next register following his three-month probe.
Substantial Payments From Multiple Sources Delayed
The unregistered interests included significant payments from various sources:
- Six payments from GB News, where Mr Farage presents a show, including one lump sum of £51,438 reported 36 days after the deadline
- £91,200 from Direct Bullion, a London-based gold dealer the MP helped advertise
- £17,173.76 from Cameo, the celebrity video message service
- Payments from Google and speaking engagements for US-based consulting firm Imperial Independent Media
Farage Blames Staff and Administrative Complexity
In a letter to the commissioner dated November 12, Mr Farage wrote: "I accept that I have breached this section of the Code and take full responsibility, and I would first of all like to say I am sincerely sorry."
The Reform UK leader attributed the breaches to "an administrative error on behalf of me and my team," explaining: "Unlike most Members, I have a very complicated and complex set of interests, including my work as a TV presenter and as a successful private businessman, most of which were built long before I was elected as a Member of Parliament."
During a meeting with the commissioner on December 11, Mr Farage revealed he was "shocked" by what he called a "gross administrative error." He told Mr Greenberg: "You may say, why don't I enter those things myself? Well I don't do computers... So I rely on other people to do those things for me."
Mr Farage further complained that the system is "not designed for people like me," adding: "I'm not making any money as a result of being an MP, quite the opposite, I'm making it because I'm Nigel Farage and I've got other interests." In a separate December letter, he claimed to have been "extremely let down by a very senior member of staff."
Political Rivals Condemn 'Five Jobs Farage'
Rival political parties seized upon the findings, with a Labour Party spokesperson stating: "Nigel Farage is so distracted with tempting failed Tory politicians into his party that he can't even get the basics right. He isn't on the side of working people – he's just lining his pockets when he should be standing up for his constituents."
The Labour spokesperson continued: "He boasts about making money 'because I'm Nigel Farage', raking in millions through various outside jobs. But he neglects to do the important work that hard-pressed taxpayers fork out for him to do. Labour will tighten the rules on MPs' second jobs to make sure the public get the attention they expect and deserve from their elected representatives."
Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper commented: "Five Jobs Farage is spending far too much time jetting off to talk our country down in the US and cashing in from his GB News show. Just like his idol Donald Trump, Farage thinks politics is all about lining his own pockets not serving the people. We can't let Trump's America become Farage's Britain. Farage should spend more time in Clacton and less time on Cameo."
The controversy emerged as Mr Farage travelled to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, where he was scheduled to give a speech. The Clacton MP has cemented a reputation as one of this Parliament's highest-earning MPs for his work outside of the House of Commons, with political opponents accusing him of prioritizing personal financial gain over constituency service.
