Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist right Reform UK party, has been referred to the UK parliament's standards watchdog following a report that he failed to declare benefits. The referral comes as he already faces a separate investigation over a gift.

Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde asked Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg to investigate new allegations that Farage received security, accommodation, and social media assistance from long-time ally George Cottrell before entering Parliament in 2024.

According to The Sunday Times, Cottrell pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the United States in 2017 and now works in cryptocurrency. Under parliamentary rules, newly elected MPs must declare financial interests and most benefits received in the 12 months before entering Parliament.

Farage's spokesperson dismissed the report as "baseless and contrived," insisting no rules were broken. However, Farage is already under investigation for allegedly failing to declare a £5 million gift from Thailand-based crypto investor Christopher Harborne.

If the watchdog finds Farage committed a serious breach of disclosure rules, he could be suspended from the House of Commons. A suspension of 10 sitting days or more could trigger a recall petition in his constituency.

The allegations come as Reform UK leads national opinion polls, bringing increased scrutiny to the party and its finances. Farage has claimed the gift was unconditional and for security, thus not requiring declaration.

Source: www.dw.com