Nigel Farage has indicated he expects Parliament's standards watchdog to find he breached the rules in an investigation into a £5million gift he received. The Reform UK leader questioned the integrity of the Standards Commissioner, suggesting the "establishment" would rule against him because he leads an "insurgent party".
The Clacton MP offered no evidence for his doubts about the commissioner's independence. Asked if he expected the commissioner to find against him, Mr Farage replied: "Do I think the establishment would find against me, the leader of an insurgent party? What a question to ask."
Farage calls probe a 'farce'
The Standards Committee says it prides itself on independence and integrity, with investigations kept highly secret to prevent political interference. Mr Farage called it a "farce" that he could not speak more freely about the confidential probe.
Speaking on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said: "Under the rules of Parliament, if I even answer your question, I will receive a letter of rebuke from the Standards Commissioner. This is the farce of it: You can say what you like, people can write what they like, I’m not allowed to respond."
The Standards Committee currently includes four Labour MPs, two Tory MPs and one Liberal Democrat MP. Seven members of the public also sit on the committee, a design intended to bring an "independent and external perspective to the Committee's deliberations", according to Parliament's website.
Investigation into undeclared gift
Mr Farage confirmed he has been interviewed by Commissioner Daniel Greenberg over an undeclared £5m gift from Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, received shortly before the 2024 general election. The probe is expected to conclude shortly.
Newly elected MPs must declare any financial benefits received in the 12 months before their election. Mr Farage insists the cash was a personal gift to help pay for his security and that after taking "strong legal advice", he was told he did not need to declare it, so he has not broken any rules.
The Reform leader said that if the alleged murder of politician Anne Widdecombe "doesn’t justify me being able to pay for my security to whatever level is needed for the rest of my life then I don’t know what is".
In May, Mr Farage told the Sun the gift was a reward for his Brexit campaigning: "It's very unusual for someone to give up 27 years of their life to campaign for something. And this was given to me on an unconditional basis, completely unconditional basis. But frankly, it was given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years." In June interviews, he said it was not the public's business how he spends the money, adding he could spend it on Ferraris or horse racing betting if he chose.
Potential by-election consequences
Mr Farage could face another by-election in Clacton if found to have breached MPs' rules. He triggered a by-election there in the summer after resigning as an MP in protest over questions about his finances. The move backfired when major parties boycotted the race, leaving him to campaign against Count Binface. He won and was later sworn back in as an MP.
Other parties are expected to field candidates if another by-election is held following the probe.
