NIGEL Farage has lashed out at a Sky News journalist, telling him there will be “serious consequences” after he was questioned about taking money from convicted criminal George Cottrell.
The Reform UK leader is under growing pressure over his donations, with the latest claims that his long-term aide Cottrell had paid for staff before the General Election, potentially breaking MPs’ rules by failing to declare the financial support.
Cottrell, an aristocratic banker who previously served eight months in a US prison for fraud, provided financial benefits and has continued to give the Reform leader use of a five-storey Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace, The Sunday Times reported.
Farage is already facing questions over a £5 million gift from the Thailand-based billionaire Christopher Harborne and is currently under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner.
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 new referrals take the total number of potential probes faced by Farage to four.
Farage reacted angrily when approached at an airport by a Sky News journalist on Monday who asked whether it had been a mistake for the Reform leader not to declare gifts from Cottrell.
The reporter asked: “Was it a mistake not to declare the gifts from George Cottrell, sir?”
Farage replied: “You tell your bosses, you harass my family anymore, there will be serious consequences.
“That’s what your organisation has done this morning, go away.”
The Reform leader then stormed off, but the reporter asked again: “Was it a mistake not to declare the gifts, sir?”
Finally he's getting the scrutiny he deserves. And he really can't handle it, can he?pic.twitter.com/sCb5NUBRzB
— Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) July 6, 2026
At which point Farage U-turned and walked straight up to the journalist and said: “Did you not hear me? You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything else. Cut.”
Sky said it had not contacted anyone from Farage’s family about the story.
On Sunday, Farage 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.”
Cottrell was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud after admitting attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.
He was arrested as he and Farage travelled back to Britain after a trip to the US.
Cottrell reportedly remains a close adviser to Farage after first becoming involved in Ukip as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.
