Labour reports Farage’s alleged hack to security officials after he fails to do so | Nigel Farage

Labor has reported the alleged hacking of Nigel Farage’s phone to police and government cybersecurity officials after the Reform UK leader was unable to do so himself.

Labor leader Anna Turley has asked the Metropolitan police and the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) to investigate claims that Farage’s phone was compromised by hostile actors linked to Russia.

Reform claimed the Guardian had revealed Farage had been given a £5 million gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, resulting from material leaked from his phone, email and bank accounts. Party he said last weekend He believed that his information was obtained by “hostile actors almost certainly linked to Moscow.”

Reform said it had reported the matter to the “relevant authorities” but did not specify which ones. Labor challenged the party to refer the case to the NCSC but this is understood not to have happened as of Thursday afternoon.

It is understood Farage did not report the matter to the Met, and that the Met considered reaching out to him and asking if he would like to do so. Labour’s contact with the police does not constitute a formal crime report, so it is unlikely the Met will launch an investigation on this basis.

In a letter to Farage, Turley said: “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.”

He added: “I have therefore contacted the National Cyber ​​Security Center and the Metropolitan police today to ensure that the suspicions raised publicly by you and Reform UK are properly investigated.”

A Reform spokesman said: “It has been reported to the relevant authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.”

The Met and NCSC have been contacted for comment.

The Guardian revealed last month that Harborne had given Farage £5 million in 2024, shortly before the Reform leader announced he would run for parliament despite previously saying he would not do so.

Parliamentary rules state that MPs must declare any gifts they received in the 12 months before taking office, whether it was for political or personal purposes.

Farage initially claimed Harborne had given him money to cover security costs, later saying it was a “reward” for years of campaigning for Brexit.

Farage has defended positions since entering parliament will benefit the commercial interests of the cryptocurrency industryIncluding allowing people to pay their taxes with digital currency.

As Farage continues to face questions about why he did not disclose the donation, Reform sources claimed the Guardian story resulted from a hack carried out by Russian spies.

A party source told the Mail on Sunday that Farage had sent his phone for forensic analysis by counter-espionage experts, who concluded it had been compromised via a “spear phishing” attack.

The Guardian described claims that its reporting was based on material obtained through a Russian hack as “absurd” and described Farage’s claim as “an attempt to divert attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial affairs”.

Conservative party chairman Kevin Hollinrake told the Guardian this week that Farage had spent years “making excuses for himself”. [Vladimir] Putin” but now he was “playing the Russia card” when faced with questions about his donations.

The reform leader also faces questions over whether he should pay taxes on donations.

Phil Brickell, Labor chairman of the all-party parliamentary group against corruption, and Lloyd Hatton, a Labor MP on the public accounts committee, have written to HMRC urging authorities to examine whether Farage owes tax on the money.

Their intervention followed an assessment by tax expert Dan Neidle, who said Farage could be liable if the money was provided in return for work done for Harborne or as an incentive to stand for parliament.

However, Neidle concluded that this was unlikely to be the case and that Farage “probably owes no tax” on the gift.