Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, is facing an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over a £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from a party donor. The probe comes days after the party emerged as the biggest winner in local and regional elections.
A spokesperson for Reform UK denied any wrongdoing on Wednesday, telling Reuters that "Farage has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken." The spokesperson added, "We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all."
Farage said he accepted the donation from Thailand-based billionaire and crypto investor Christopher Harborne to pay for his personal security before announcing his candidacy in the 2024 national election that brought him into Parliament. He said it was not a political donation, but rival parties accused him of breaking rules requiring MPs to declare donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office.
The party has topped every national opinion poll since early last year, prompting increased scrutiny of its funding sources. Last week, elections for about 5,000 seats on 136 local councils in England, as well as in the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, marked significant progress for Reform UK, including in areas considered Labour heartlands.
If the investigation finds Farage committed a serious breach of parliamentary declaration rules, he could be suspended from the House of Commons. A suspension of 10 days or more could trigger a recall petition, potentially forcing him to stand in a special election for his seat.
About two-thirds of Reform's funding last year came from Harborne, according to Electoral Commission data. Opponents say the funding from an overseas billionaire demonstrates a gulf between the image Farage cultivates as a man of the people and his dependence on wealthy donors.
Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, said at the weekend that voters already knew about the gift and had still chosen to vote for the party in large numbers. Earlier this year, Farage apologized after being found to have inadvertently committed 17 breaches of rules on declaring financial interests, including payments from Google and Elon Musk's X Corp.
Source: www.aljazeera.com