Nigel Farage Faces Scrutiny Over Multiple Parliamentary Conduct Breaches
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton, has found himself at the centre of a parliamentary standards investigation after breaching the MPs' code of conduct seventeen times by failing to register financial interests within the required timeframe. The controversial politician offered a remarkable defence during proceedings, claiming he doesn't make "any money" from his £94,000 parliamentary salary.
Substantial Outside Earnings Amidst Registration Failures
The parliamentary standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, identified seventeen separate breaches involving late registrations of financial interests totalling more than £380,000. These included six payments from GB News where Farage serves as a presenter, three payments from Google, and substantial earnings from his role as brand ambassador for precious metal dealer Direct Bullion.
During a December meeting with the commissioner, Farage presented an extraordinary justification for his conduct, stating: "I'm not making any money as a result of being an MP, quite the opposite, I'm making it because I'm Nigel Farage and I've got other interests." This statement came despite the politician having earned over £1 million from second jobs since the general election.
Complex Financial Arrangements and Administrative Explanations
Farage argued that the parliamentary financial interests system "is not designed for anybody in business" because it requires declaration of gross income including VAT without accounting for staff and salary expenses. The Reform UK leader claimed to have declared his gross income transparently, stating: "I haven't tried to disguise anything."
The MP attributed the multiple breaches to what he described as a "gross administrative error" by a member of his staff, explaining that his team's "political lives have exploded" since the election. Farage revealed plans to "staff up" and get "outside money" to increase the size of his office operations, citing overwhelming workloads including receiving approximately 1,000 emails daily to his parliamentary account.
Substantial External Earnings Detailed
Analysis of Farage's Register of Members' Financial Interests reveals substantial earnings from multiple sources beyond his parliamentary salary. In December alone, he received over £70,000 from his GB News presenting role. Throughout the previous year, he earned more than £200,000 as brand ambassador for Direct Bullion.
Additional income streams include:
- Thousands of pounds for Cameo video recordings
- Payments for social media activities on Elon Musk's X platform
- Speaking engagement fees
- Approximately £4,000 monthly for writing articles for the Telegraph
Political Reactions and Commissioner's Findings
The Labour Party responded critically, with a spokesman stating: "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 party pledged to tighten rules on MPs' second jobs if elected.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper added: "Five Jobs Farage is spending far too much time jetting off to talk our country down in the US and cashing in from his GB News show. Just like his idol Donald Trump, Farage thinks politics is all about lining his own pockets not serving the people."
Commissioner Greenberg concluded that the failures were "inadvertent" due to staffing and administrative issues, deciding against referring the matter to the Committee on Standards despite the large number of breaches. Instead, he deemed the case suitable for the "rectification process," sparing Farage from further formal punishment.
The investigation originated from a public complaint about late registrations, prompting Greenberg to conduct a wider review that uncovered the multiple breaches spanning various financial interests that Farage had failed to register within the mandatory 28-day period.
