Nigel Farage told to ‘come out of hiding’ over alleged election overspending | Reform UK
Nigel Farage faces a possible second investigation into claims he overspent by as much as £9,000 on the Claction election campaign after the watchdog said it was assessing the claims.
Labor has asked the Electoral Commission to review Reform UK’s election spending after a whistleblower told the Daily Telegraph it failed to declare expenses on leaflets, banners, utility bills and the refurbishment of a bar at its Clacton campaign office.
Labor leader Anna Turley called on Farage to “urgently come out of hiding” and reveal whether his party has spent more than the £20,660 limit on the campaign.
In response, the Commission said it was “taking account of your letter and considering other information in accordance with our enforcement policy to determine whether there has been any potential failure to comply with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.” Essex police are also currently assessing the allegations.
Whistleblower Richard Everett, a former Reform councilor and member of Farage’s campaign team, claims the party’s official return report comes in at just £400 below the spending limit set by electoral law, and that undeclared spending will rise above that limit.
In his letter to the Electoral Commission, Turley said: “If the expenses required to be declared on Mr Farage’s return to Clacton were included in Reform’s national spending return, or if elements of national party spending were not declared at all, there is a real risk that Reform’s party spending return will be inaccurate or incomplete, and this is a matter for the Electoral Commission.”
Reform has strongly denied the allegations, with a party spokesman saying: “The party denies breaching electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”
The spokesman also described Everett, who alleged excessive spending, as a “disgruntled former councillor”. Everett switched from the Conservatives to Reform last year and has since left the party to run as an independent.
Turley called on Farage to deal with the allegations himself, saying they were “incredibly serious” and claiming he had “behaved insultingly to the British people by remaining silent, and he urgently needs to come out of hiding on this issue”.
It was reported last week that Everett first made his complaint to the Metropolitan police. The force previously said: “The Met received an online report on Friday 5 December regarding misreported expenses by a candidate in connection with the 2024 general election.”
Later the same day, Essex police said: “Following guidance from the Met police, we are considering a report regarding the alleged misreporting of expenses by a political party in connection with the 2024 general election.”
Although neither force named a party or candidate, the Met said the transfer to the Essex force took place “due to the location of the alleged offences”.
