Farage insists ‘no case to answer’ on undeclared £5m gift from donor

Nigel Farage said he would not refer himself to the UK Parliament’s standards watchdog over a £5 million gift from a Reform UK donor, saying there was “no case to answer”.

The Reform leader was referred to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner by the Conservatives last week after it emerged he had received the previously undeclared gift in 2024.

Farage has said the money, from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne, was not connected to his political activity and was needed to pay for private security for the rest of his life.

There is no case to answer. Of course, the other parties will try and make hay out of it – there’s no case to answer

Harborne has separately donated millions to Reform, including a £9 million donation in August 2025, the biggest single donation in history to a political party from a living person.

Asked why he had not previously declared the £5 million, Mr Farage told broadcasters in Westminster on Wednesday: “Because it’s not political, that’s why.”

He added: “I have been physically under attack since 2013. I can’t catch the Underground and I’ll never be able to as long as I live.

“And that money was given to me with the knowledge that the state in this country have never, ever wanted to help me.”

Asked whether he would refer himself to Parliament’s standards watchdog, the Reform leader replied: “Because why would I? I mean, honestly, we’ve looked at this with lawyers and everything.

“There is no case to answer. Of course, the other parties will try and make hay out of it – there’s no case to answer.”

Asked later whether he regretted not declaring the gift, he said: “Of course not.”

Farage is reported to have received the money in 2024 before he announced he would stand in Clacton-on-Sea at that year’s general election.

Parliamentary rules require new MPs to register any financial support they have received in the 12 months before their election, unless it “could not reasonably be thought by others” to be connected to their political activities.

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Nigel Farage referred to standards watchdog over failure to declare £5m gift

Farage’s political opponents have criticised him for failing to declare the gift to Parliamentary authorities.

Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said his party had referred Farage to the standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, saying he might wish to examine whether any of the money “was used to support other political activity”.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said the case was “the latest alarming example of Farage and his MPs believing there is one rule for them and another for everyone else”, while the Liberal Democrats have demanded he “come clean on whether he promised anything to Harborne” in exchange for the gift.