Fresh allegations have come to light over Nigel Farage’s finances after he failed to declare another financial benefit. Now, Labour are urging the Electoral commissioner to investigate
Nigel Farage found himself under further financial scrutiny as more questions were raised over his finances.
The Reform UK leader is already under investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner over a mysterious £5million gift from a crypto billionaire. But recent reports have claimed he also failed to declare another financial benefit – this time from a convicted criminal – and has now been referred to the commissioner again.
The claims suggest he accepted staffing, security and housing from George Cottrell, known as “Posh George”, an aristocrat, in the year before he became an MP. Under the rules in place at the time of Farage’s election, all newly elected MPs were required to register any gifts or donations received in the 12 months before taking office, unless the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
If it is found he breached the rules, he could face sanctions including a Commons suspension, which could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
The growing scrutiny appeared to take its toll on the party leader, who has lashed out at interviewers on several occasions. Most recently, he warned a journalist there would be “serious consequences”.
Asked whether it was a mistake not to declare the financial support he received from Cottrell, he said: “You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more there will be serious consequences. That’s what your organisation has done this morning. Go away.”
He added: “Did you not hear me? You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything else. Cut.”
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Labour has urged the Electoral Commission to investigate the donations and whether the support should have been declared, arguing Farage was already a prominent figure in Reform UK before returning to Parliament.
The party also questioned whether Montenegro-based Cottrell was a permissible donor, claiming it was unclear whether he was on the UK electoral register at the time.
Anna Turley MP, Chair of the Labour Party, said: “This scandal isn’t going away the more Nigel Farage tries to avoid scrutiny – it’s only getting worse. The time for him to be straight with the public is long overdue. The Reform Leader must put all the evidence on the table if he is to clear his name.
“Serious allegations of rule breaking are already being assessed by the Parliamentary authorities. It is now abundantly clear that Mr Farage may have not only broken Parliamentary rules, he may have broken the law.
“Farage can’t brazenly brush this off as being ‘none of your business’ any longer. He needs to own his self-inflicted scandal and prove he’s not been secretly breaking the rules and taking the British public for fools.”

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