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The elections watchdog responsible for overseeing the integrity of political funding in England and Wales is currently evaluating whether to investigate a £5 million donation given to Nigel Farage prior to the last general election. This substantial sum was provided by Christopher Harborne, a major donor linked to Reform UK, in early 2024. The Conservative Party has suggested that Farage ought to have declared this donation at the time to the Electoral Commission, as they consider him a “regulated donee” under the relevant laws.
Reform UK has responded by characterizing the payment as a gift, emphasizing that it was made when Farage had not yet committed to running for parliamentary office. At that stage, he was serving as the honorary president of Reform UK, but had not publicly announced any intention to become a candidate. The party stated that Farage chose to allocate the funds toward security expenses. Following the election call, Farage declared in early June 2024 that he would stand for Parliament as the party leader, seeking election in Essex’s Clacton-on-Sea constituency.
In their reply to the Conservatives, Eleanor Pearch, managing the Regulatory Action Panel at the Electoral Commission, confirmed awareness of the case and indicated that it remains under consideration within their regulatory framework. Pearch assured that all relevant evidence will be reviewed thoroughly before any recommendations about future actions are made. The Commission has pledged to respond to the Conservative Party’s concerns by no later than 12 May, a date after the scheduled elections in Scotland, Wales, and various local authorities across England.
The Conservatives maintain that Farage was obliged to declare the donation because members of registered political parties can be classified as regulated donees, which requires such declarations. They also point out that Reform UK was, at the time, a private limited company in which Farage owned a significant shareholding—between 50% and 75% from May 2021 to February 2025—according to Companies House records. Farage was also a director of the company, whose business activity was listed as political organization. Additionally, the Conservative Party has escalated their complaint by contacting the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, alleging that Farage breached the House of Commons Code of Conduct by failing to register the political donation. The Commissioner’s office has not provided any comment on the matter
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