Farage’s undeclared £5m gift could trigger a byelection

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

Nigel Farage faces two inquiries into an undeclared £5m gift, which the Reform leader maintains he used for his personal security as a private donation. Farage received the payment from Christopher Harborne, a Thai-based crypto billionaire and major Reform donor, weeks before he announced he would stand in the 2024 general election. The parliamentary standards commissioner is understood to have opened an inquiry into Farage, while it is thought that the Electoral Commission will confirm before the end of this week whether it is opening its own inquiry. Farage will be in trouble if it is deemed that the £5m constitutes a gift to the party because he didn’t declare it. The Observer has been told that the nature and size of the gift may result in the Clacton MP receiving a punishment that triggers a byelection.