• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• News
• Politics
• Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage to face probe over 5million gift from Thai-based billionaire

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is looking into Nigel Farage's 5million gift from Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne, which he did not declare

[Keir Starmer faces questions about a 5million gift he accepted in 2024]

View 3 Images

Keir Starmer faces questions about a 5million gift he accepted in 2024(Image: Getty Images)

Nigel Farage faces a probe after accepting 5million from a Thai-based billionaire and not declaring it.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, confirmed he will investigate after it emerged the Reform leader took the money from Christopher Harborne shortly before the general election. Mr Farage claims he used the generous sum to pay for his security.

The Commissioner has the power to recommend a suspension if Mr Farage is found to have committed a serious rules breach. If Mr Farage is barred from the Commons for over 10 weeks, he could face a recall petition - meaning he would have to stand for re-election in his Clacton constituency.

The Reform chief faces questions after it emerged he had been given the money by Reform donor Mr Harborne in 2024. He accepted it shortly before announcing he would stand as an MP.

Reform insists it was a personal, unconditional gift, meaning there was no need to declare it. To add to Mr Farage's woes, the Electoral Commission is also weighing up whether to launch its own investigation, with an announcement expected by the end of the week.

[Mr Farage accepted the cash from Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne]

View 3 Images

Mr Farage accepted the cash from Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne(Image: George Cracknell Wright/LNP)

Mr Greenberg will determine whether Mr Farage broke Parliamentary rules requiring new MPs are to declare any potentially relevant gifts or donations received in the 12 months before they enter the Commons. The 5million was given to Mr Farage by Mr Harborne shortly before he announced he was standing in the Clacton constituency in 2024.

After news broke about the commissioner's probe, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy posted on X: "This stinks. Farage likes to pretend he's a 'man of the people but he and Reform are not on your side."

And Labour Party chair Anna Turley said: "Nigel Farage has been avoiding legitimate questions since news of his billionaire backers gift. Its right that he faces a proper investigation."

She added: "Farage and Reform clearly believe its one rule for them, and another for everyone else. They are not on your side.

Mr Harborne, also known as Chakrit Sakunkrit in Thailand - where he has lived and worked for two decades - has given more than 22m to Reform in the past seven years. He also bankrolled Mr Farage's travel to Donald Trump's inauguration last year, handing over 27,616.76.

And on top of that, he donated 25,000 to Mr Farage in February to fund a "humanitarian aid mission" to the Maldives, Electoral Commission records show. The Reform leader attempted to travel to the Chagos Islands - home of a joint US-UK military base - but ended up filming videos complaining he was blocked. A permit is required to enter the territory.

[Mr Farage and his partner Laure Ferrari arriving at Parliament on Wednesday morning]

View 3 Images

Mr Farage and his partner Laure Ferrari arriving at Parliament on Wednesday morning

Businessman Mr Harborne, 62, has also previously given money to the Tories and Boris Johnson, who he donated 1m to in 2022. The Sheffield-born former private schoolboy owns a number of businesses around the world, and was an early investor in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

He is a large investor in cryptocurrency Tether, which is headquartered in El Salvador. After founding investment firm Sherriff Global he went on to set up jet fuel broker AML Global. Mr Farage has championed crypto, with Reform becoming the first party to accept crypto donations.

Earlier this year Mr Farage unveiled plans to cut capital gains taxes on crypto assets to 10% - down from its current 24%.

Mr Farage has previously said Mr Harborne wants nothing in return for his huge donations to Reform. During a bad-tempered interview on Friday, Mr Farage insisted there was "no doubt at all" that he was in the right by not declaring the donation. Pressed by Sky News' Beth Rigby, he lashed out: "Ive got other interviews to do

"You want to discuss the elections, well discuss them, if not, I wont bother Its a waste of space Sky News, typical"

On Sunday his deputy, Richard Tice, refused to say whether his boss had accepted any more undeclared multi-million pound gifts from wealthy donors. He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "I look after my own finances. and Nigel looks after his."

And he hit out over the line of questioning, saying: "You keep on with this, trying to smear us and sneer at us. We're sick of it. And the voters are sick of it."

Mr Tice's refusal to rule out Mr Farage receiving other similar undisclosed gifts comes after Reform's Zia Yusuf suggested he did not know. In a spiky exchange with the BBC's Matt Chorley at the weekend, Mr Yusuf - the party's home affairs spokesman - said: "The premise of your question is that I would have some insight into Nigel's personal affairs prior to him even considering becoming an MP.

"And I think that is obviously an objectively unreasonable premise." A spokesman for Reform UK said: Mr Farages office is in communications with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

"He has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken. We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.

It is not the first time the Reform leader has faced questions over his personal finances. In September last year The Mirror reported he was facing allegations of hypocrisy after announcing last year he had bought a house in Clacton, Essex, where he is MP.

In fact it was his partner Laure Ferrari, 46, who shelled out almost 900,000 for the plush home. As her sole property, she would be liable for nearly 32,000 in stamp duty, according to HMRCs online calculator.

If Mr Farage had bought it himself, it would have cost him at least 75,000 as second home duty. Mr Farage insisted he had done nothing wrong and that Ms Ferrari had paid for it with her own money.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.