Farage Denies Undeclared Benefits From 32-Year-Old Fraud-Convicted Ally as £5 Million Probe Continues
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 5
Farage Denies Undeclared Benefits From 32-Year-Old Fraud-Convicted Ally as £5 Million Probe Continues
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 5
Summary
Sunday Times allegations say George Cottrell provided security, social-media staff and access to a London property in the 12 months before Nigel Farage became Clacton MP in July 2024.
Farage's team said no parliamentary rules were broken because he was not an active politician when the support was allegedly provided, and denied he stayed at the Buckingham Palace-area property.
Parliamentary rules require new MPs to declare registrable benefits received in the year before election, though purely personal gifts are exempt.
Farage did register a £9,253 Belgium trip from Cottrell and later a £15,276 US domestic flight donation, but no other Cottrell support appears on the members' interests register.
The fresh claims add to an existing Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigation into Farage's unregistered £5 million gift from donor Christopher Harborne, which he also says funded personal security.