Farage to make statement on his 'future in public life'

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Farage to make statement on his 'future in public life'Image source, ReutersByRichard WheelerPolitical reporterPublished10 minutes agoNigel Farage says he will make a statement on his "future in public life" amid renewed scrutiny over financial support he has received. The Reform UK leader's statement from 14:00 BST comes after it emerged he did not declare benefits provided by an ally once convicted of fraud in the US. Rival parties want this to be subject to a parliamentary probe.

Separately, Farage has been under investigation from Parliament's standards commissioner since May after not declaring a £5m gift he received from a billionaire Reform UK donor before his election as Clacton MP. Farage argues that he was not obliged to declare any of the benefits under Commons rules, and has done nothing wrong. Scrutiny over Farage's finances hit the headlines earlier this year after it emerged he had received a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based British cryptocurrency investor, in April 2024, before he entered Parliament.

The Details

Harborne is one of the party's most important financial backers, having donated £15m to Reform since the start of last year. Over the weekend, The Sunday Times said Farage had also received support ahead of the 2024 election from George Cottrell, a longstanding ally who was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud. This reportedly included paying for staff who provided Farage's security and worked on his social media content.

According to the newspaper, Farage also used a property near Buckingham Palace rented by Cottrell.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.