Police assess claims Reform overspent on Farage election campaign

Essex Police are investigating allegations that Reform UK overspent on Nigel Farage’s general election campaign in Clacton last year.

The allegations were made by a former Reform councilor who the party says was expelled several months ago.

Richard Everett, a former member of Farage’s campaign team he told the Daily Telegraph He believes Reform exceeded the £20,660 spending limit set by electoral law in the Essex constituency and failed to declare some costs, but said Farage was “blissfully unaware” of the omissions.

A Reform spokesman denied the party had breached electoral law, saying the “false allegations came from a disgruntled former councillor”.

In allegations first reported by the Telegraph, Mr Everett claimed Reform had failed to declare expenses on some leaflets, banners, utility bills and the refurbishment of a pub in his constituency office.

He submitted documents to the Metropolitan Police and the case has now been transferred to Essex Police, who have confirmed they are considering the allegations.

Documents show Reform came within £400 of the constituency’s legal spending limit, but Mr Everett claims that figure does not include some expenses and believes the party overspent by around £9,000, according to the newspaper.

In a statement, Essex Police said: “Following guidance made to us by the Met Police, we are investigating a report regarding the alleged misreporting of expenses by a political party in connection with the 2024 general election.”

Farage takes over the leadership of Reform UK in June 2024, around a month before the general election.

He won the seat of Clacton in Essex with a majority of more than 8,000 from the Conservatives.

Labor leader Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage needs to reassure the public that he and his party will co-operate fully with the police and put all the evidence they need on the table.”

He added: “All Parliamentarians, including party leaders, must play by the rules so that all candidates receive a fair public hearing.

“Nigel Farage needs to break his silence on this issue and show that he and Reform UK have always followed the law. Failure to do so will raise further questions about what he has to hide.”

Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake called for a full investigation by the police as well as the Electoral Commission, which oversees elections and regulates political financing in the UK.

“We all have an obligation to play by the rules to ensure our elections are free and fair,” he said.

There are strict legal limits on how much money can be spent on activities to promote a candidate during an election campaign, based on the number of registered voters in the area.

There is a separate cap on spending to promote a national political party.

Election representatives are responsible for reporting expenditures, but candidates must also sign declarations stating that their expenditure records are complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge.

Making a false statement is a criminal offense and can lead to an unlimited fine or imprisonment for up to 12 months.