NIGEL Farage is set to make a statement about his "future in public life" as he faces scrutiny over financial support given to him by a convicted fraudster.
The Reform UK leader is under pressure from across the political spectrum following reports that long-term ally George Cottrell had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected.
It comes after:
- The Liberal Democrats called for Parliament’s standards commissioner who is already investigating a £5 million gift the MP received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne to examine the support.
- Labour asked the Electoral Commission to investigate whether the support should have been declared because Farage was a prominent figure in Reform even before he returned to frontline politics.
- Plaid Cymru requested for a formal investigation into alleged undeclared support from Cottrell.
Elsewhere, Farage is also facing a potential probe after Labour MP Joe Powell reported him to the standards commissioner over claims reported in The Times that he had failed to properly declare all the properties which make up a property portfolio worth £4m.
Now, the Reform UK leader will speak on Tuesday afternoon.
What time is Nigel Farage's speech today?
The speech is expected to begin at 2pm.
How to watch Nigel Farage's speech on Tuesday
Farage's speech will likely be shown on all major broadcasters, including the BBC and Sky News.
The Reform UK leader is also likely to livestream the speech via his Twitter/X or YouTube account.
What could happen next to Nigel Farage?
Under rules in place at the time of Farage’s election in 2024, 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.
If found to have breached the rules, Farage could face sanctions including a Commons suspension that could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
The Reform leader has repeatedly said that he was not required to register the gift, which he has said was purely personal.
What has Nigel Farage recently said about the scandals?
Farage reacted angrily when approached at an airport by a Sky News journalist asking whether it had been a mistake not to declare gifts from the ally.
“You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more… serious consequences. That’s what your organisation has done this morning. Go away,” he said.
Sky said it had not contacted anyone from Farage’s family about the story.
The Reform leader on Sunday also issued a statement saying he had not broken any rules.
He said: “I have done no wrongdoing, followed the rules and I am now considering legal action against The Sunday Times.
“It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus.”
