Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing a new investigation over allegations that he failed to declare financial benefits and gifts from convicted fraudster George Cottrell before his election as a Member of Parliament.
According to a Sunday Times report on July 5, 2026, Cottrell provided Farage with security, social media staff, and access to a rented London townhouse near Buckingham Palace during the 12 months before his election in July 2024.
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Parliamentary guidelines require new lawmakers to disclose all financial interests and registrable benefits received in the year prior to their election, though purely personal gifts are exempt.
The Liberal Democrats have formally requested Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg to investigate, adding to an ongoing probe into an undeclared £5 million gift Farage received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Public records show Farage has declared over £2 million in outside income since entering parliament, the second-highest external earnings among sitting MPs.
Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick dismissed the allegations, telling BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the support was personal assistance from an old friend before Farage became an active politician.
"He did give support to Nigel before he was a Member of Parliament, he hasn't done so since he became a Member of Parliament," Jenrick said, arguing no rules were broken as the support occurred while Farage was in a private capacity.
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Jenrick characterized the media coverage as a targeted attempt to disrupt Farage's political momentum, noting that The Sunday Times is a Labour-supporting paper.
Farage strongly refuted the allegations in a public statement and indicated he is evaluating legal remedies against the newspaper.
A Labour Party spokesperson called for a thorough transparent review, stating, "Nigel Farage and Reform are engulfed in a huge and growing scandal."
The spokesperson questioned the motives and transparency of the financial transfers, asking, "How much money has he been given, what did his donors get in return, and why has he tried to cover them up?"
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The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has not yet announced a timeline for concluding the preliminary assessment into the new complaints.
