No obligation to declare £5m gift, Farage says
Summary
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he did not have to declare a £5 million gift he received from billionaire donor Christopher Harborne before becoming a Member of Parliament (MP). Farage said the money was a private, personal gift to pay for his security after he said he was denied police protection, and he argues that according to the rules, he did not need to register it.Key Facts
- Nigel Farage received a £5 million gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne in early 2024.
- The money was given before Farage became an MP and was meant to pay for his personal security.
- Farage says the gift was private, unconditional, and non-political, so he did not declare it as required for MPs.
- Rival parties, including Labour, say Farage broke parliamentary rules by not declaring the gift.
- The Conservatives referred Farage to the parliamentary standards commissioner over this issue.
- The House of Commons rules require MPs to register financial interests received in the 12 months before election unless they are purely personal gifts.
- The Electoral Commission is also looking into the gift following concerns raised by the Conservatives.
- Farage stated he has been denied police protection despite requests and uses the gift to pay for private security.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.