UK's Farage describes $7 million gift as a 'reward' for Brexit
Nigel Farage's Donation and Parliamentary Investigation
Background of the Donation
LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's right-wing Reform UK party, on Thursday said a 5 million pound ($6.75 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire he received before entering parliament was "a reward for campaigning for Brexit".
Farage is being investigated by parliament's standards watchdog over whether he should have declared the money upon being elected in 2024, though he says it was an unconditional gift and therefore exempt from the rules.
Farage has previously said he accepted the donation from Thailand-based crypto investor Christopher Harborne to pay for his personal security before he announced his candidacy in the 2024 national election.
Farage's Response to the Investigation
In a video interview with the Sun published on Thursday, Farage - who was an influential campaigning voice at the 2016 referendum that triggered Britain's exit from the European Union - said he was "not in the least bit concerned" by the parliamentary investigation.
"This was given to me on an unconditional basis - completely unconditional basis - but frankly, it was given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years," Farage said.
Party's Statement and Official Confirmation
Farage's anti-immigration party, the biggest winner in last week's local elections, had said on Wednesday it was in talks with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over the donation, and said no rules had been broken.
The commissioner's website confirmed that Farage was under investigation over a possible "failure to register an interest", without elaborating.
Political Implications and Funding Sources
Farage: 'I Can't Be Bought by Anybody'
FARAGE: 'I CAN'T BE BOUGHT BY ANYBODY'
Reform has topped every national opinion poll since early last year, making Farage a possible future prime minister after a 2029 election, and prompting increased scrutiny of the party's sources of funding.
About two-thirds of Reform's funding last year came from Harborne, Electoral Commission data showed.
Farage's Candidacy Decision
Before the 2024 election, Farage had said he did not intend to stand as a candidate. He changed his mind about a month before the vote.
Asked whether the money played any role in his decision to stand in the 2024 election, Farage said: "I can't be bought by anybody."
Criticism and Potential Consequences
Rival political parties in April accused him of breaking rules, which require members of parliament to declare donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office.
Opponents say the funding from an overseas billionaire demonstrates a gulf between the image that Farage cultivates as a man of the people willing to confront Britain's establishment, and his dependence on wealthy donors.
If the investigation finds Farage committed a serious breach of parliamentary declaration rules, he could be suspended from the House of Commons for a period of time. A suspension of 10 days or more could trigger a recall petition, potentially forcing him to stand in a special election for his seat.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.7409 pounds)
(Reporting by Muvija M, Sarah Young Andrew MacAskill and William James, editing by Kate Holton, Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)
