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This article covers the important facts regarding Reform denies rules broken by Nigel Farage after benefits from ally were not declared.
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Farage served as Reform’s honorary leaderbetween March 2021 and June 2024. On 3 June 2024, he confirmed he was returning as party leader and standing in the general election. He became Clacton MP in July 2024.
Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months before their election.
The guidelines say purely personal gifts or benefits do not need to be registered.
When he became an MP, Farage registered a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 donated by Cottrell, and later added a £15,276 donation from Cottrell for a US domestic flight he provided in December 2024.
No other support from Cottrell is listed in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests., external
A spokesman for Farage said: “It comes as no surprise that the Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election.
“Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken.”
A source statedReform paid for Farage’s security and staff after his return to politics.
The source also denied Farage received accommodation from Cottrell – saying the MP did not stay at the London property.
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is currently investigating whether Farage broke the rules over the £5m gift from British cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in early 2024.
Farage has statedHarborne gave him the fundsto pay for his personal security, adding the gift was “purely private” and “wasn’t political in any sense at all”.
Lib Dem MP Josh Babarinde has asked Greenberg to “get to the bottom” of the latest allegations linked to Farage’s support from Cottrell.
Babarinde has also asked Greenberg to confirm whether he will investigate the claims as part of the existing inquiry or as a separate matter.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage and Reform are engulfed in a huge and growing scandal.
“These new allegations of secret payments from a wealthy convicted criminal are on top of the ongoing scandal of his secret £5m gift from a crypto billionaire.
“How much fundshas he been given, what did his donors get in return, and why has he tried to cover them up and avoid legitimate questions?”
Responding to Jenrick’s interview, Labour statedReform “can’t shrug this scandal off and hope it goes away”.
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