Farage's Property Purchase and Funding Source
Nigel Farage purchased a £1.42 million house in Surrey in 2024, funding the acquisition with money he earned from appearing on the ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, according to Reform UK statements provided to the BBC.
reported on Thursday that Farage finalized the property purchase shortly after receiving a £5 million payment from Christopher Harborne, a major donor to Reform UK.
The £5 million payment from Harborne, which Reform UK has described as a personal gift intended for Farage's security expenses, is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
However, Reform UK maintains that the house purchase was entirely separate from Harborne's donation and was instead financed by Farage's ITV reality show earnings.
Land registry documents reviewed by the BBC confirm that Farage completed the cash purchase of the Surrey property on 10 May 2024 without taking out a mortgage.
In a statement to , Reform UK clarified:
"Mr Farage had already passed proof of funds and the relevant checks before receiving the gift" from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Farage participated in I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in December 2023, finishing in third place, and was reportedly paid a seven-figure sum for his appearance.
Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand, transferred £5 million to Farage on 5 April 2024, two months prior to Farage's announcement that he would stand in the 2024 general election.
In April, Harborne told The Telegraph:
"I wasn't expecting anything in return apart from ensuring his safety"
when referring to 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".
Parliamentary Rules and Declaration Issues
Parliamentary regulations require that newly elected MPs declare any donations received within the 12 months prior to their election.
The £5 million payment from Harborne was not included in Farage's declaration of interests and only became publicly known after being reported by last month.
Reform UK has consistently maintained that the payment did not require declaration because it was a
"personal, unconditional gift".
Harborne has since become Reform UK's largest donor, contributing £12 million to the party in 2025.
Farage has explained that Harborne's gift was intended to cover his lifetime security costs.
Reform UK Response and Parliamentary Inquiry
A Reform UK spokesperson told the BBC:
"The relevant chronology is straightforward. The offer and purchase process for the property commenced before the gift.
Mr Farage had already passed proof of funds and the relevant checks before receiving the gift. The purchase was therefore already proceeding independently of it."
The party confirmed that the property purchase was
"nothing to do"with Harborne's gift and that the funds used came from Farage's ITV fee.
understands that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is initiating an inquiry to determine whether Farage breached Commons rules by failing to declare the £5 million payment from Harborne.
On Thursday, Farage told The Sun newspaper that the payment was
"given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit"and that he was
"not in the least bit worried"about the inquiry.
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