Nigel Farage claims ‘the establishment’ will find against him in £5 million probe
The probe has not concluded yet, but Farage has suggested it will rule against him
Nigel Farage has suggested that “the establishment” will find he breached parliamentary rules in an investigation into an undeclared £5 million donation.
Crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne gave Farage the £5 million gift in April 2024. The Reform leader did not declare the donation when he became an MP in July of the same year.
On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg yesterday, Farage questioned the impartiality of the probe, referring to the parliamentary standards commissioner as “the establishment”.
Asked by Kuenssberg if he expected the commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, to find against him, Farage replied: “Do I think the establishment would find against me, the leader of an insurgent party? What a question to ask.”
This is despite the fact that the parliamentary standards committee is made up of four Labour MPs, two Tory MPs and one Liberal Democrat MP, as well as seven members of the public.
In his role as commissioner Greenberg is required to uphold impartiality.
Farage was interviewed by Greenberg for around 30 minutes back in September.
Responding to Kuenssberg’s question about the interview, he said it was “a farce” that he couldn’t speak freely about the confidential investigation.
Farage said: “Under the rules of Parliament, if I even answer your question, I will receive a letter of rebuke from the Standards Commissioner. This is the farce of it: You can say what you like, people can write what they like, I’m not allowed to respond.”
He then added: “But to hell with it: Yes, I have been interviewed about it, and you know what?
“If Ann Widdecombe’s murder at the age of 78 doesn’t justify me being able to pay for my security to whatever level is needed for the rest of my life then I don’t know what is.”
Farage has given different accounts regarding the purpose of Harborne’s donation. He initially said it was to pay for security for the rest of his life, but later said it was a “reward” for campaigning for Brexit.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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