Farage Faces Allegations Over Undeclared £1 Million Crypto Donation in UK
Allegations and Political Reactions
Accusations of Breaking Parliamentary Rules
LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) - British right-wing Reform leader Nigel Farage faced accusations from rival political parties on Wednesday of breaking parliamentary rules by failing to declare a large donation from a cryptocurrency investor.
Under parliamentary rules, members of parliament need to declare any donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office.
Details of the Donation
Farage said he received the donation, worth more than 1 million pounds ($1.35 million), from crypto investor Christopher Harborne to pay for his personal security before he announced his candidacy in the 2024 national election, and therefore it did not constitute a political donation.
Political Parties' Responses
Britain's main opposition Conservative Party referred Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for investigation, while the governing Labour Party also said the Reform leader appeared to have broken the rules.
Scrutiny of Reform Party Funding
Farage's Reform Party has topped every national opinion poll since early last year, prompting increased scrutiny of the party's sources of funding.
Reform Party's Defense
Reform said Farage did not need to declare the money given to him because there is an exclusion under parliamentary rules for "purely personal gifts".
Official Statement from Reform Spokesman
"This was a personal unconditional gift that was given before he was elected," a Reform spokesman said in a statement. "We are confident everything has been declared in accordance with the rules."
Media Investigation and Further Details
Farage disclosed details of the gift after being approached by The Guardian newspaper about the donation. The Guardian said it was worth about 5 million pounds.
Background on Reform Party Funding and Farage's Candidacy
About two-thirds of Reform's funding last year came from Harborne, who lives in Thailand, according to company filings.
Before the 2024 election Farage had said he did not intend to stand as a candidate but he changed his mind about a month before the vote.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.7409 pounds)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskillEditing by Gareth Jones)
