Farage has ‘serious questions to answer’, minister insists amid mounting calls for investigation over money from convicted criminal
Nigel Farage has “serious questions to answer”, a minister has told LBC as he faces calls for an investigation into financial support given to him by a convicted criminal.
Listen to this article
Earlier, the Reform UK leader was referred to the parliamentary standards committee over claims he violated rules by accepting the money and failing to properly declare the funding.
His spokesman denied the latest allegations against the Reform UK leader, with Liberal Democrat MP, Josh Babarinde, writing to the parliamentary standards committee on Sunday.
The latest reports claim Farage received undeclared support - including security and social media staff - from crypto-gambler and convicted criminal George Cottrell, in the run-up to his appointment as an MP.
The investigation also claims Farage used a property rented by Cottrell, 32, near Buckingham Palace.
Early education minister Olivia Bailey said she was shocked at the Clacton MP’s reaction after he claimed he is the victim of an “establishment hit job”.
'I think it's ridiculous, I think it's offensive, and I think he has serious questions to answer.'
— LBC (@LBC) July 6, 2026
Early Education Minister @oliviabaileymp says Reform's reaction to the scrutiny of Nigel Farage's finances has been 'shocking'. pic.twitter.com/w4QTuY82WU
She told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: “I think he’s got really, really serious questions to answer, and to be honest, I’m really shocked to see the reaction from him, from (Reform UK MP) Robert Jenrick on the on the telly yesterday, trying to obfuscate, trying to say there’s nothing to see here, trying to accuse the Times of being a Labour-supporting newspaper.
“I did chuckle at that one.
“I think it’s ridiculous, I think it’s offensive to the British public.
“I think there are serious questions to answer, and I hope that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner proceeds with their investigations.”
Read more: Prince Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace for UK visit after 'liaising directly with King Charles'
Read more: Skydiver, 22, killed in ‘tragic accident’ as body found in field
Farage has also found himself in hot water over the £5 million donation from another crypto-tycoon, with the MP flip-flopping over whether the undeclared donation was for security or personal use.
Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and "registrable benefits" received in the 12 months before their election - although purely personal gifts or benefits do not need to be registered.
The MP for Clacton is already facing a parliamentary probe after a £5m gift from British cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne was allegedly not registered appropriately by the party leader.
Mr Farage, who disputes the claims, said the money was to be used for personal security and did not need to be declared, as it was received before he became an MP.
A spokesman for Farage alleges that the additional support from Cottrell, unearthed in an investigation by The Sunday Times, did not need to be declared for similar reasons.
When he became an MP, Farage registered various other donations from Cottrell, including a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 and a £15,276 donation from Cottrell for a US domestic flight he provided in December 2024.
No other support from Cottrell - who admitted to one count of wire fraud in the US in 2017 - is listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests.
A spokesman for Farage alleges that the additional support from Cottrell, unearthed in an investigation by The Sunday Times, did not need to be declared for similar reasons.
When he became an MP, Farage registered various other donations from Cottrell, including a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 and a £15,276 donation from Cottrell for a US domestic flight he provided in December 2024.
No other support from Cottrell - who admitted to one count of wire fraud in the US in 2017 - is listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests.
Responding to the new allegations, 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."