Nigel Farage has been referred to parliament's standards watchdog after the Guardian revealed he received an undeclared £5m gift from a party donor. The referral was made by the Conservative party, citing rules that require MPs to declare any 'personal benefit' received in the 12 months before taking office, and to do so within a month of being elected.
The gift from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne fell within that period. Some personal gifts are exempt if they 'could not reasonably be thought by others to be related to membership of the house or to the member's parliamentary or political activities', according to the code of conduct. The rules add: 'If there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered.'
Farage had stated he did not intend to stand as a prospective MP but U-turned in June 2024, within weeks of receiving the gift. A Reform UK spokesperson said the gift and Farage's decision to stand were 'entirely unrelated'. Farage told the Daily Telegraph that the gift was made because 'Christopher is an ardent supporter who is deeply concerned for my safety'.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Tory party chair, said: 'The Conservatives are today referring Nigel Farage to the parliamentary standards commissioner. This £5m from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne raises serious questions. What is Nigel Farage hiding? And why does Reform think the rules don't apply to them?'
The Labour party said it appeared Farage had broken the rules. Anna Turley, Labour party chair, said: 'It's just the latest alarming example of Farage and his MPs believing there is one rule for them and another for everyone else.' Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrats' deputy leader, added: 'It looks like Farage has been bought out … but he's deluded if he thinks the British people will stand for this.'
A Reform UK spokesperson said the gift did not need to be declared because it was a 'personal unconditional gift' and that they had 'complied with all relevant rules and regulations'. The standards commissioner has been urged to investigate urgently.
