Farage on £5m Gift Spending
Nigel Farage has stated that it is "not the public's business" to know the details of how he spends a £5 million gift from a billionaire donor to Reform UK.
In an interview with the BBC, the Reform UK leader explained that the money, donated by British cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne, was an "unconditional gift" and that he could spend it on anything, including cars, if he wished.
Farage further indicated that the funds were intended for his personal security and that he would require protection "until the day that I die," but he declined to disclose the amount he has spent so far.
Declaration and Investigation
Farage has maintained that he was not required to declare the gift because he received it before being elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton and that it was not political in nature. However, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is currently investigating whether he breached the rules.
Labour and other opposition parties have expressed concerns and believe Farage must provide answers regarding the gift received in early 2024.
The House of Commons code of conduct requires new MPs to "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."
The rules clarify that "purely personal gifts or benefits" from family or commercial loans typically do not need to be registered. They also state that "both the possible motive of the giver and the use to which the gift is to be put should be considered," adding that "if there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered."
Farage's Responses on Spending
When questioned on ITV's Good Morning Britain about what he had spent the money on, Farage responded,
"I have not."
On BBC Breakfast, when asked to clarify the purpose of the funds, Farage referred to threats to his personal safety and said that "most times" the state had refused his requests for assistance.
Regarding how much of the money has been spent, he said,
"It's literally none of your business. If I'd given it to charity, the truth is I haven't, I know what it's for."
Pressed again about expenditure, Farage reiterated it was "none of your business" and challenged presenter Sally Nugent on how much of her salary she had spent on petrol and beer.
When Nugent stated it was the public's business to know, Farage replied,
"No, it's not the public's business."
Asked once more about the amount spent on security, Farage declined to answer, stating,
"No, I'm not going to answer that deliberately, wilfully. It's not your business at the BBC to put me in danger therefore I will not answer it."
Nugent responded that they were not putting him in any danger, to which Farage said,
"If I answer that question you are, so I won't."
Background on the Gift and Political Reactions
Farage received the £5 million donation from Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP. The gift has prompted a standards probe into its legitimacy and compliance with parliamentary rules.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Farage was asked if he would return the money. He replied by asking presenter Nick Robinson if he would donate his salary to charity.
When asked again about returning the funds, Farage responded,
"What on earth has that got to do with you? If I did it'd be a purely private matter as the money was in the first place."
Farage also dismissed suggestions that the gift influenced Reform UK's candidate finishing second to Labour's Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election, noting that "only one person" mentioned it during the campaign.
He told BBC Breakfast,
"I am absolutely convinced I've done nothing wrong in any way at all"and added that he has "taken zero in personal expenses" since being elected in July 2024.
Farage said,
"I'm very careful and very cautious about these things. I believe it to be a wholly private matter, the standards commissioner may take a different view."
'Reward for Brexit'
In May 2024, Farage was serving as Reform UK's honorary president but announced he would not stand as a candidate in the July general election. He reversed this decision in early June and assumed leadership of the party.
Farage acknowledged having done an interview about the possibility of becoming an MP and subsequently accepting the gift. He told the BBC,
"And after that I said I will not stand in this election. I was pretty clear when a snap election was called that I wasn't going to do it, I did change my mind subsequently."
In an April interview with The Telegraph, Farage said Harborne gave him the money early in 2024 to pay for his security.
He later told The Sun that the gift, which was investigated by , was a
"reward for campaigning for Brexit"and asserted that he "cannot be bought by anybody."
On Tuesday, the Liberal Democrats launched a billboard marking the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote, referencing Farage's £5 million gift. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said,
"Nigel Farage pocketed a £5 million 'reward' for the damage he's caused, while the rest of us are paying for it dearly."
Harborne, who resides in Thailand, told The Telegraph in April that he "wasn't expecting anything in return apart from ensuring his safety" when discussing the gift.
He also stated that he gave the money to Farage "because of my great admiration for the decades of work he had done to achieve Brexit."
Last year, Harborne made a single donation of £9 million to Reform UK.
The Conservative Party has written to Parliament's standards watchdog and the Electoral Commission concerning the £5 million gift.
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