New undercover footage has piled fresh pressure on Nigel Farage over a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, reports BritPanorama.
The leader of Reform UK has faced intense scrutiny in recent months regarding the gift, which he did not declare upon becoming an MP. Initially, he claimed it was intended to cover his private security for life, but later framed it as a “reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years.”
In the recently published footage by The Guardian, one of Mr Farage’s closest aides, Dan Jukes, discussed the backlash surrounding the gift, asserting that the Brexit-related claim was not a “press office line.”
When asked about the gift, Mr Jukes told an undercover reporter that the matter was “a little bit awkward.” He explained, “That was not the line to take from the press office,” later stating that the narrative was now positioned as a thank you for Brexit intended to ensure Mr Farage’s security for life.
Mr Jukes responded to a suggestion from the undercover reporter that people wouldn’t mind Mr Farage benefiting from politics by saying, “Well it’s a bit priced in with our Nige, isn’t it – no one’s voting for him to be the pope.”
In response, a spokesman for Mr Farage reiterated that the transcript in question accurately reflects that the gift was indeed for his security throughout his life.
Mr Jukes, who has been a long-time aide to Mr Farage, stepped down from his role as the party’s media chief last month following the release of an undercover Channel 4 documentary.
The internal investigation conducted by the party concluded that he did not breach electoral law during discussions on how to conceal foreign donations featured in the documentary.
Mr Farage has been interviewed by the standards commissioner regarding an investigation to determine if he should have disclosed the £5 million gift.
Under Commons rules, MPs are required to declare any gifts over £300 received in the past 12 months, unless it is reasonably believed that the gifts do not relate to their political activities.
Mr Farage maintains that the gift was not political and insists he has done nothing wrong.
Mr Harborne is one of two crypto-billionaires who donated £72 million to Reform UK, with calls for a blanket cap on donations reigniting following the twin £36 million gifts from him and Ben Delo.
This situation arises amid multiple undercover investigations revealing troubling conduct and language among Reform UK members, leading to several suspensions and resignations. The party has been accused of “appalling behaviour” and “extreme racism” following the recent footage from ITV Exposure’s investigation Undercover: A Year in Reform, aired on Sunday night.
The ongoing scrutiny of Mr Farage and his associates highlights the complex relationship between political financing and accountability in the current UK political landscape.
