Nigel Farage is now facing the prospect of four individual sleaze investigations following allegations that a convicted fraudster provided funding for his political operation.
The Reform UK leader is facing claims that he failed to declare benefits, including staffing, security and housing, provided by long-time aide George Cottrell before he was elected as MP for Clacton in the 2024 general election.
According to The Sunday Times, Cottrell – also known as “Posh George” – recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace.
Under rules in place at the time, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
The allegations have been referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for a possible investigation, taking the tally of referrals against the veteran Brexiteer up to four.
Farage is already under investigation by the standards watchdog for failing to declare a £5m tax-free “gift” given to him before he stood in the 2024 election by the Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
A separate referral was made by Labour MP Phil Brickell over accusations that Farage “lobbied” Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey to drop plans for a state-run alternative to cryptocurrency, which could have an impact on the business model of donors to his party, including Harborne.
Days later, the Reform leader was referred again to the standards commissioner, by Labour MP Joe Powell, after fresh details emerged in The Times that he had failed to declare all of his properties that make up a £4m portfolio of at least five homes.
The Liberal Democrats have now written to the sleaze watchdog to say there is a “serious question as to whether Mr Farage met his obligations under the Code of Conduct for MPs” over the Cottrell links.
While doubts remain as to whether a probe will be launched over the lobbying claims, MPs The i Paper has spoken to believe Farage’s failure to declare benefits and gifts are “clear cut” and should lead to further investigations.
If found to have breached parliamentary rules, Farage could face sanctions, including a Commons suspension that could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
As The i Paper revealed last week, the Reform leader has told friends that he is concerned about the possibility of a by-election in Clacton, with Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain expected to target the seat.
Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, insisted that Cottrell was an “old friend” of Farage and had “no formal role within Reform”.
Jenrick told broadcasters that Cottrell had given “support to Nigel before he was a Member of Parliament, he hasn’t done so since he became a Member of Parliament”, adding: “No rules have been broken whatsoever.”
But Parliament’s Register of Interests shows that Cottrell did continue to support Farage after his election, paying £15,276 for a US domestic flight to Palm Beach for an undisclosed “personal meeting”.
Asked if Cottrell paid for Farage’s security and staff in 2024, Jenrick told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg he did, but this was “before he [Farage] became a member of Parliament”.
The Newark MP added: “It’s perfectly legitimate for a personal friend to offer you security. The question really is, did he need to report this? No, because it was a personal friend, and it was before he was a member of Parliament.”
In 2017, Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud. He had admitted attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.
He was arrested as he and Farage travelled back to Britain following a trip to the US.
Asked if Farage stayed in a townhouse that was being rented by Cottrell, Jenrick said: “I believe Nigel has said that he stayed a couple of times there, very infrequently, as you’re allowed to.”
A spokesman for Farage said: “It comes as no surprise that The Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election.
“Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken. We also understand The Sunday Times has a new podcast to promote, which it seems very excited about. Its agenda should be plain for all to see.”
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