Nigel Farage Issues Apology for Multiple Parliamentary Code Breaches
The leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, has issued a formal apology after being found responsible for seventeen separate breaches of the MPs' code of conduct. The parliamentary standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, concluded that Farage had failed to declare £380,000 of income on time, describing the value of the undeclared interests as significant.
Farage Blames Administrative Chaos and Personal 'Oddball' Nature
In his defence, the MP for Clacton attributed the failures to what he called "severe growing pains" within Reform UK. He explained that the party had been overwhelmed by administration and emails following its expansion and success in gaining parliamentary seats at the 2024 general election.
Farage made the striking admission that he is "computer-illiterate" and does not use computers himself, relying instead on staff members to handle his declarations. "I don't do computers," he told the standards commissioner. "I can come and fill in a register for you, but I don't do computers. So I rely on other people to do those things for me. I'm not, I'm afraid, computer literate, which makes me yet more an oddball than perhaps I was before."
Details of the Undeclared Income and Previous Breaches
The £380,000 in question primarily stemmed from Farage's work as a broadcaster for GB News and payments received for his social media output on platforms including Google and X. This is not the first time the Reform UK leader has faced scrutiny over parliamentary declarations; he previously admitted breaching rules by failing to register a trip to Florida where he appeared at a fundraising event for former US President Donald Trump.
Farage, who is currently the highest-earning MP, insisted there was "no intention to deceive anyone" and that he had nothing to gain from late declarations. He emphasised that he has never been in trouble with tax authorities, does not claim parliamentary expenses, and argued that his substantial income is earned "because I am Nigel Farage" rather than through his role as an MP.
Standards Commissioner's Findings and Political Reactions
Commissioner Daniel Greenberg acknowledged that the breaches appeared to be inadvertent rather than deliberate, though he noted both the high number of violations and the considerable sums involved. In his apology, Farage stated: "I'm sorry. I apologise. I fully accept that I'm in the wrong in every way, because if your staff mess up, ultimately you're responsible."
The Labour Party responded critically to the revelations. A spokesperson said: "Nigel Farage is so distracted with tempting failed Tory politicians into his party that he can't even get the basics right. He isn't on the side of working people – he's just lining his pockets when he should be standing up for his constituents." The spokesperson added that Labour would seek to tighten rules on MPs' second jobs to ensure constituents receive proper attention from their elected representatives.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has himself been found by the standards commissioner to have declared financial interests late on eight occasions, though these were deemed minor and inadvertent breaches.
