Nigel Farage hits out at ‘establishment hit job’ over accusations of undeclared financial benefits
Reform Britain leader Nigel Farage said he was the victim of a “corporate racket” amid accusations that he received undisclosed financial benefits from his long-term partner George Cottrell.
The politician insisted he was following the rules regarding the support he received from Mr Cottrell for the Reform UK leader’s operation, including staffing, security and accommodation. Sunday Times.
Mr Farage said: “I did nothing wrong, I followed the rules and I am now considering taking legal action against him. Sunday Times.
“It is now clear that the Establishment will stop at nothing to harm Reformation; we want to shatter their sincere consensus.”
Mr Cottrell provided funding for the Reform UK leader’s operation, including staff, security and accommodation. Sunday Times It was reported on Saturday.
Cottrell reportedly hired and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the general election and continued to let them use a five-storey Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace.
Mr Farage allegedly booked a £9,000 trip to Belgium donated by Mr Cottrell and added an overdue £15,000 for a US domestic flight after he became MP for Clacton in 2024, but there was no other support.
Under the rules in force at the time, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, unless the gift “could not reasonably be considered by others”.
Reform UK has denied its leader breached its code of conduct.
The party’s treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, also emphasized that “no rules were broken” because the allegations covered the period “before he became an MP”.
“I believe Nigel has said he has stayed there a few times, although it is very rare, he is allowed to do so,” Mr Jenrick told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg program about allegations that Mr Farage had stayed in a mansion rented by Mr Cottrell.
“Nigel Farage is allowed to have friends. As a politician, you are allowed to stay at a friend’s house and make sure to remember that Nigel was not an elected politician.
“We can say that he was a former politician at that time. He was someone who did not think of running for parliament in the private world.
“He had overlooked that and it was a friendship with someone who helped him.”
He added: “You are allowed to accept a gift, support, whatever the name is from a personal friend before you become an MP if it is in a purely personal capacity.
“It is perfectly legitimate for a personal friend to offer you security. The question is, did he need to report it? No, because he was a personal friend and that was before he became a member of parliament.”
The charges sparked further concern due to Mr Cottrell’s criminal history after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in the US in 2017 and was sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting trying to defraud criminals on the dark web by posing as a money launderer.
Mr Farage is already facing questions over an undisclosed £5 million gift from Thai billionaire Christopher Harborne and insisted last week that “nobody cares” about the money.
Parliament’s standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is now investigating whether Mr Farage should have registered the gift.
If found to have breached the rules, the Reform UK leader could face sanctions including suspension from the House of Commons, which could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
A Green Party spokesman said: “Like Donald Trump, Nigel Farage has a lifelong habit of putting his own financial interests and the financial interests of his wealthy friends above the interests of ordinary people.” Independent.
“The cryptocurrency bros and fossil fuel companies who line Farage’s pockets and pour money into the Reform UK coffers expect something in return. This explains why Nigel Farage and his party have been so crypto-friendly and so hostile to action on climate change.”
