Labour asks Electoral Commission to investigate claims Farage broke electoral law by not disclosing gifts – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. One of the reasons why Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is relatively popular is that he presents himself as friendly and good-natured. There was a rather different display last night when Farage angrily berated a Sky News cameraman who passed his door on his way back to the UK after a flight from the US. Farage also accused Sky News of harassing his family, which Sky denied. Perhaps Farage has had a rough ride alongside a noisy passenger in the economy; but it is hard not to conclude that this outburst is related to fears that the ongoing row over Farage’s failure to declare gifts and support he received shortly before becoming an MP in 2024 could fatally damage his chances of becoming Prime Minister.

The Labor Party released the clip.

Knowing this might be a consolation for the Reform UK leader. Donald Trump is on his side. The US president posted this on the Truth Social platform yesterday.

But there are new problems for Farage this morning. Over the weekend, the Sunday Times published a lengthy investigation into the gifts and benefits Farage received before becoming an MP from George Cottrell, a crypto entrepreneur previously convicted of fraud. The Sunday Times report and the backlash it sparked at the time focused on allegations that Farage had broken parliamentary rules by not declaring parliamentary rules in his list of MPs’ interests.

The Electoral Commission is now being asked to investigate allegations that failure to declare gifts also violates electoral law. Anna TurleyThe Labor leader wrote a letter to the commission making his case. Cottrell claims his gifts “exceeded the £500 threshold to check permissibility and the £2,230 threshold to report donations to the Electoral Commission”, the Sunday Times reported.

Here is the important quote from Turley’s letter.

During the period in question (the second half of 2023 until the 2024 general election), Mr Farage was a member of Reform UK, its honorary chairman, and the majority owner of the shares, as Reform UK was then a private limited company.

Mr Farage was very active as a Reform member and campaigner during this period. For example, he spoke at the Reform UK Conference on 8 October 2023; He posted regularly on X (formerly Twitter) in support of Reform UK; and as Sunday Times According to reports, the video output, created by Mr Cottrell with funded staff, was highly political and strongly supportive of Reform UK:

His daily videos, which cover the “invasion” of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel, the net-zero U-turn by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government and the “terrible” Black Lives Matter movement, have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. He also continued to support Reform, sharing a video featuring the party’s turquoise logo and encouraging viewers to vote in the October midterm elections. “My efforts and work will only stand behind Richard Tice and Reform UK,” he boasted in a video titled “Reform is here to stay.”

As you know, Schedule 7 of PPERA says that a regulated donor may be a “member of a registered party” and that “in relation to a member of a registered party” a regulated donation means a donation received by that person and held by that person, which is (i) offered to him or (ii) accepted for his use or benefit in connection with any of his political activities as a member of the party.

I believe that Mr Farage’s status with Reform UK and his use of resources provided by Mr Cottrell to produce campaign materials in support of Reform UK and for his security at a time when he was campaigning for Reform UK fit this description; So much so that Mr Cottrell’s donations are subject to regulation because they were made in connection with Mr Farage’s political activities in his capacity as a regulated donor.

Turley told reporters:

Serious allegations of breaches are currently being considered by Parliamentary officials. It is now clear that Mr Farage may have breached not only parliamentary rules but also the law.

Farage can no longer arrogantly dismiss this situation as “none of your business”. He needs to own up to the scandal he has created and prove that he is not secretly breaking the rules and making fools of the British people.

Here is the agenda of the day.

8.45: Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, said: A Q&A at the Institute of Government.

10am: Kemi Badenoch gives a speech on defence.

10am: Former health secretary Wes Streeting hosts LBC’s call-in, replacing James O’Brien.

10am: Lord Robertson and General Sir Richard Barrons, two of the three authors of last year’s strategic defense review, are giving evidence to the Commons defense committee on the defense investment plan published last week.

11.30: Energy secretary Ed Miliband answers questions in the House of Commons.

Afternoon: A lobby briefing is being held in Downing Street.

After 12.30: MPs are discussing two opposition day motions from the Conservative Party. First, it calls on the government to support the Tory plan to save summer jobs; The second says the government should pass a law that would exempt sex offenders from the early release program for prisoners.

13:00 (UK time): Keir Starmer is expected to attend the NATO summit in Türkiye. His afternoon duties include a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and a dinner with other leaders.

14.20: Louise Casey, the official leading the government’s review of adult social care, is speaking at the Local Government Association.

14.30: Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood testifies to the Lord’s justice and home affairs committee.

15.30: Badenoch speaks at Politico’s Playbook live event. Labor deputy leader Lucy Powell speaks at 5.05pm.

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