Nigel Farage is set to face an investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a gift of £5m he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP, The Independent understands.
Mr Farage was referred to the watchdog after he admitted he received the money from Harborne, a British national based in Thailand who helped bankroll Brexit, back in 2024.
The Reform leader has come under fire for failing to declare the donation - given just weeks before he declared he would run in the general election - which the Tories say should have been reported to Commons authorities.
Mr Farage has said the money “was given to me so that I would be safe and secure for the rest of my life.” He added: “I have tried and failed in the past to get security funded by the Home Office, and I don’t think the state will ever help me. I’m very much on my own and will be for the rest of my life, and I have to face up to that grim reality. Christopher is an ardent supporter who is deeply concerned for my safety.”
Mr Harborne’s donations to Mr Farage and Reform UK have been the subject of particular controversy for the party, after he gifted a record-breaking £9 million donation last August and a further £3m this year.
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