Nigel Farage now faces 4 individual sleaze investigations: Here’s the full list

Nigel Farage is facing growing questions over his finances, after yet another scandal emerged, this time over allegations that a convicted fraudster provided funding for his political operation, funding which he failed to declare.

The Reform UK leader is facing a grilling over his financial arrangements, after the Times revealed that he failed to declare benefits, including staffing, security and housing, provided by long-time aide George Cottrell before he was elected as MP for Clacton in the 2024 general election.

Under parliamentary rules, new members must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months before their election, unless where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Cottrell, also known as ‘posh George’, is a long-time aide of Farage, and was previously made Ukip’s head of fundraising at just 22 years of age.

In 2016 Cottrell was charged with 21 offences for his role in a “dark money” money laundering scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and spent time in prison in Arizona, though he is now seeking a pardon from the US president, Donald Trump.

Reform have insisted that no rules have been broken, with Robert Jenrick telling the BBC that the support did not need to be registered since it was provided in a “purely personal capacity” prior to Farage’s election.

However, this isn’t the first time that Farage is facing a probe over his financial arrangements.

It ought not to be forgotten that Farage is already under investigation by the standards watchdog for failing to declare a £5m tax-free “gift” given to him before he stood in the 2024 election by the Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.

It was also reported last week that the standards watchdog was being urged to investigate whether Farage lobbied the Bank of England to drop a cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for Harborne, the man bankrolling his party, potentially in breach of parliamentary rules.

Farage is alleged to have used a private meeting at the Bank to urge its governor, Andrew Bailey, to drop plans for a state-run alternative to the digital currency that has made Harborne, his Thailand-based benefactor, one of the richest people in the world.

The Clacton MP has also been referred again to the standards commissioner, by Labour MP Joe Powell, after further allegations in The Times that he had failed to declare all of his properties that make up a £4m portfolio of at least five homes.