Farage referred to watchdog over help from crypto criminal
A friendship with a crypto millionaire has sparked outrage against British politician Nigel Farage, who chose not to disclose the assistance of a gambler serving time in America for money laundering.
Farage, who leads the polls with the Reform Britain party, has faced calls for an official investigation into his links with George Cottrell following reports that the aristocratic investor known as “Posh George” was secretly helping his campaigns.
The attention follows a separate controversy over a £5 million ($9.7 million) gift to Farage from Christopher Harborne, another crypto investor based in Thailand and estimated to be worth billions of pounds.
Farage ally Robert Jenrick, a former Conservative minister who switched to Reform last year, acknowledged his friendship with Cottrell but vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“He was supporting Nigel before he became a member of Parliament,” Jenrick told the BBC on Sunday morning (London time).
“He hasn’t done this since he became an MP. No rules were broken.”
The issue has been the focus of political news in the UK. Sunday Times It was revealed that Farage was staying at a property owned by Cottrell in an expensive area of London near Buckingham Palace.
The newspaper also reported that Cottrell was assisting Farage and Reform UK with social media campaigns and the party leader’s personal security ahead of the 2024 election.
Although Reform has only a handful of MPs in parliament, it surged to the polls last year with promises to deport large numbers of immigrants, stop asylum seekers arriving by boat, cut welfare and defend traditional British values.
With 24 per cent support in the latest YouGov poll, Reform is ahead of both Labor (on 19 per cent) and the Conservative Party (on 20 per cent) and could win power given the UK electoral system does not separate preferences.
Deputy Reform leader Richard Tice accused in anger Sunday Times It was claimed that he unfairly targeted Farage with the investigation into his friendship with Cottrell, who has been close to the right-wing movement for years.
“Another part of the establishment is panicking that Reformation might win the next election and really fix Britain,” Tice wrote in X.
Sunday Times It is published by News Corp, chaired by Lachlan Murdoch, but the company is not the only one scrutinizing the wealthy backers behind Farage.
Guard In April Harborne announced his payment and Daily Telegraph London of London, now owned by Axel Springer, a major German media company, also investigated the donation.
The latest report has increased media debate about the level of scrutiny placed on Farage, given his leading position in the polls and the priority given to cryptocurrency regulation in the Reform UK policy platform.
The reform has proposed a “Cryptoassets and Digital Finance Bill” that could ease rules for the financial sector, but has yet to outline costly policies in areas such as defence.
“The reform’s crypto bill provides complex details about the tax breaks and protections interested financiers will enjoy under Farage,” wrote former editor Fraser Nelson. Audienceinside Times last Friday.
In addition to funding and aid from crypto investors, Farage also received payments from Direct Bullion, a company that promotes investment in gold.
Farage revealed on social media that he earned £270,000 ($522,000) from Direct Bullion advertising. Financial Times reported relatively few clicks on promotions despite payment. Including previous promotions, the company paid Farage £685,500 ($1.3 million) over time.
Cottrell’s help sharply increased interest in Farage over the weekend due to the crypto investor’s criminal record.
Sunday Times Cottrell reportedly provided security services, social media support and accommodation to Farage in the year ahead of Reform UK’s entry into the House of Commons in July 2024. Under parliamentary rules, MPs must disclose political donations and gifts they received in the year before they were elected and after they became MPs.
Cottrell is the son of British businessman Mark Cottrell and Fiona Watson, a former model from an aristocratic family who was reported to have been King Charles’ girlfriend when he was Prince of Wales in the 1970s.
Cottrell, who made his money gambling, became deputy treasurer of the UK Independence Party after Farage led the party during his successful Brexit campaign to take the UK out of the European Union.
However, Cottrell was arrested in Chicago in 2016 and charged with money laundering, wire fraud, blackmail and extortion following an operation by US investigators who posed as drug dealers during a meeting with him in Las Vegas two years ago.
Prosecutors said he agreed to launder money on behalf of undercover agents.
He served eight months in prison after pleading guilty to a wire fraud charge and dismissing other charges in a plea deal.
Liberal Democrats leader and MP Josh Babarinde wrote to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner on Sunday, demanding an investigation into the aid from Cottrell.
“Nigel Farage has made a career out of ‘taking back control’ but he is not being honest with the British people about who controls him,” Babarinde wrote.
If the commission acts on the referral, the inquiry will expand on whether Farage breached the rules by failing to disclose the Harborne payment.
Jenrick defended Farage, saying he was allowed to get help from friends of MPs.
“Nigel Farage is allowed to have friends as a politician, you’re allowed to stay at a friend’s house,” Jenrick told the BBC.
“You don’t need to declare things that are purely personal.”
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David Crowe is the European correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
