Nigel Farage investigated over £5m gift

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is currently under investigation by Parliament's standards commissioner. The probe concerns a £5 million gift he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, and whether it was properly declared.

Mr Farage has suggested he believes the commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, will find against him. He was interviewed by Mr Greenberg for approximately 30 minutes in September as part of the inquiry. Under the rules of the House of Commons, MPs are required to register any gifts exceeding £300 within the 12 months prior to receiving them, unless the gift could not reasonably be considered related to their political activities.

Appearing on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Mr Farage commented on the investigation. He stated that responding directly to questions about the matter could lead to a rebuke from the standards commissioner. He added, "This is the farce of it: You can say what you like, people can write what they like, I’m not allowed to respond."

Despite these constraints, Mr Farage acknowledged the interview and expressed his expectation of an unfavourable outcome. When asked if he anticipated the commissioner ruling against him, he responded rhetorically, "Do I think the establishment would find against me, the leader of an insurgent party? What a question to ask."

The gift in question is understood to be from Christopher Harborne, who is one of two crypto-billionaires who collectively donated £72 million to Reform UK. The substantial donations from Mr Harborne and Ben Delo have prompted calls for stricter regulations on political donations, beyond existing measures targeting overseas funding.

Reports indicate that Mr Harborne, while previously based in Thailand, registered to vote in Hampshire in June. The investigation is ongoing.