Why is Nigel Farage facing renewed scrutiny of his finances?

While an MP, Farage was booked on a £9,253 trip to Belgium, donated by Cottrell, in April 2024 before the election. In December 2024, he recorded a donation of £15,276 from Cottrell to US domestic flights.

However, he did not declare the additional £5m he received from Cottrell or Harborne, as he is not required to do so by law.

In an interview at the end of June, the Reform UK leader opted to earmark the £5m funding from Harborne for future security spending, arguing that protection would be needed “for the rest of my life”.

However, he emphasized that the gift is “unconditional” and how he spends it “is completely up to me.” Speaking to ITV, he said he had yet to spend the money.

In an interview after the Sunday Times story was published, Reform Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick Cottrell said he had contributed to Farage’s HR and security costs before he became an MP.

“Before becoming an MP, you are allowed to accept a gift, an endorsement, whatever you want to call it, from a personal friend,” he said.

Farage has yet to face media questions about Cottrell’s support, detailed in a Sunday Times report. In the statement, he said that he “followed the rules” and was a “victim of the establishment”.

Cottrell’s lawyers said they disputed the “allegations and comments” in the Sunday Times report and were reviewing the matter with legal representatives.