LONDON — Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s Reform UK party, has been referred to the UK parliament’s standards watchdog following reports he failed to declare assistance from a wealthy backer previously imprisoned in the US for wire fraud.
The Sunday Times reported that, in the lead-up to the 2024 general election, Mr Farage was provided with security services, social media support and accommodation by George Cottrell, a 32-year-old cryptocurrency investor who served eight months in prison after being caught agreeing to launder money for drug traffickers in an FBI sting operation.
Known by the nickname “Posh George”, Mr Cottrell later served as chief of staff to Mr Farage during his time as the leader of UKIP, and has often been seen by the far-right politician’s side over the past decade, including during the 2024 campaign. Mr Farage released a statement on Sunday evening calling himself the victim of an “establishment hit job”, insisting no rules had been broken. “I have done no wrongdoing, followed the rules and I am now considering legal action against the Sunday Times,” Mr Farage said.
But Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde, who wrote to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on Sunday calling for an investigation into the allegations, said Mr Farage was “not being straight with the British people about who controls him”. “Given the value and nature of the support described, there is a serious question as to whether Mr Farage met his obligations under the Code of Conduct for MPs,” he said in a letter he made public on X.
“This is not an isolated concern.” Mr Farage is already under investigation by the standards watchdog over separate allegations he should have declared a 5 million pound donation from a different cryptocurrency source.
