Nigel Farage says “no need” to declare £5m donation amid growing scrutiny
Nigel Farage has said there was “no need” to declare a £5m donation after being referred to parliamentary standards.
During a recent visit to Waterlooville, the Reform UK leader clarified his position on the controversy.
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It emerged that Farage received a £5m gift from cryptocurrency investor and Reform UK mega donor Christopher Harborne shortly before he stood in the 2024 general election.
Labour and the Conservatives have accused the MP for Clacton of breaking Commons rules by not declaring the gift in the register of interests.
The Commons code of conduct states that new MPs “must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election”.
When asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service why the donation was not declared, Mr Farage said there was “no need, it was a gift”.
He added it was “not a political gift in any sense at all”.
Farage has previously said the money was used to pay for security after failures in obtaining state funded protection.
Harborne had reportedly become concerned about Farage’s safety after a milkshake was thrown at him in 2019 during campaigning for the Brexit Party. He was also hit by another milkshake in 2024.
Farage has also said a petrol bomb was posted through his letterbox last year. No suspects have been identified.
The Conservatives have said they have referred the Reform leader to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
More recently, the Electoral Commission said it is aware of the matter and is considering it within its regulatory remit.
On a visit to Gosport on the same day, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Nigel Farage is too busy having to explain why someone gave him £5m which he trousered without making a report of it.”