Farage warned attack on 'establishment' over undeclared gifts could lead to harsher punishment
Nigel Farage, accused of failing to declare a £5m donation, is warned that his claims of an 'establishment hit job' could aggravate his penalty if found guilty.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg for allegedly failing to declare a £5 million donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Following a new investigation by The Sunday Times, Farage claimed he was the victim of an 'establishment hit job' and is considering legal action against the newspaper.
Harriet Harman, a Labour peer and former chair of the Commons standards committee, warned that Farage's response could backfire. She stated that while the commissioner and committee are typically lenient with honest mistakes, attacking the system is considered an aggravating factor that could lead to a harsher penalty. If found in breach, Farage could face suspension from Parliament for more than 10 days, triggering a recall byelection in his Clacton constituency.
Harman emphasized that the standards system is not an 'establishment hit job' but a mechanism to protect public trust. She urged Farage to cooperate with the investigation instead of delegitimizing it. Farage maintains he has done nothing wrong and that the establishment is trying to harm Reform UK.
