Standards watchdog resumes investigation into Nigel Farage’s £5 million donation
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has resumed the investigation hours after Farage’s re-election was announced
In a blow to Nigel Farage, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s investigation into whether he should have declared his £5 million donation from Christopher Harborne has been resumed.
Farage reportedly didn’t realise that the parliamentary standards investigation into him could resume after the Clacton by-election.
Reporting by the Sunday Times last weekend indicated that he had been “poorly advised” by his team that the investigation would not be reopened if he stepped down and was re-elected.
The probe was suspended when Farage announced his resignation as the MP for Clacton on 7 July.
But shortly after Farage was announced as the winner of the Clacton by-election in the early hours of this morning, the Commissioner’s website has been updated and no longer lists the investigation as “suspended on 8 July”.
As Parliament is currently in recess and will not sit again until 1 September, it is not clear what the next steps will be with the investigation.
MPs under investigation usually have to respond to written questions from the Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, or attend a formal interview.
If the standards watchdog finds that Farage should have declared the donation, he could face sanctions ranging from being required to apologise in the House of Commons to being suspended.
Any suspension of 10 sitting days or more can result in a recall petition that could trigger a by-election, if at least 10% of constituents sign the petition.
Speaking to GB News this morning, Farage dismissed the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s investigation, stating: “Who cares, the voters of Clacton don’t care.”
He added: “They will not call a second by-election here, they’d be stupid to do so.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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