Labour presses Nigel Farage over alleged Russian hack linked to £5m donation

Labor has challenged Nigel Farage to reveal which authorities are investigating an alleged Russian hack linked to a £5 million gift he reportedly received.

Labor leader Anna Turley has written to the Clacton MP, urging him to confirm publicly whether he reported the suspected cyber attack to the police or the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC).

Ms Turley said Labor planned to prepare a report “in the public interest and national interest” if Mr Farage did not respond.

A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed: “The relevant authorities have been notified.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.”

Mr Farage received £5 million from Thailand-based crypto entrepreneur Christopher Harborne in 2024, before he stood in that year’s general election.

He had previously said the money was used for non-political purposes, for his own safety and security, and later said: Sun it was “the reward for 27 years of campaigning for Brexit”.

A party source reportedly told the Mail On Sunday that forensic analysis of Mr Farage’s phone by “counter-espionage experts” showed “hostile state actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, used ‘spear phishing’ tactics to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts”.

Mr Farage told the paper: “These actions by Russia are deeply worrying and highlight the threat they pose to British security.”

Former NCSC boss Professor Ciaran Martin cast doubt on Mr Farage’s analysis on Monday, saying it had “no merit”.

According to The Guardian newspaper, he said: “His claim to be Prime Minister essentially claimed that Russia had launched an unprecedentedly aggressive intervention in British politics – a malicious intervention – and he has produced not a shred of evidence to support this claim.”

Ms Turley said she was “very concerned to read” Mr Farage’s claim that he had been assaulted.

“If your suspicions are correct, this constitutes serious cybercrime and a potential hostile state operation against the leader of a British political party,” he told the party leader.

“I would like to note that public reports do not confirm that this matter was reported to the police or the National Cyber ​​Security Centre.

“Instead, the reports state that you privately commissioned analysis from unnamed ‘counterespionage experts’ who concluded that ‘hostile state actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, used spear phishing tactics’ to compromise your phone email and bank accounts.

“Apart from the consequences for you personally, the alleged offense is an incredibly serious offense with wider potential implications for Britain’s national security, the integrity of our politics and the public’s confidence in our democratic system.”

Ms Turley asked Mr Farage to “please confirm when the report was made and to which authority”.

He continued: “If you have not done so, please explain why you have not done so, depending on the seriousness of the allegation.

“If we do not receive confirmation within 24 hours that this matter has been reported to the police, Labor will, in the public and national interests, report the matter personally to the police and relevant national security authorities, based on your public statements and published reports.”

A Labor Party spokesman said: “Russia’s interference in our politics is incredibly serious and all political parties have a responsibility to confront it head on and ensure that any cases of potential foreign interference are quickly reported to the relevant authorities for a thorough investigation in order to protect our national security.”

The spokesman added that Mr Farage “cannot continue to stonewall this issue and change his narrative”.