Former Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage is facing calls for a second parliamentary standards inquiry after a Liberal Democrat MP asked the watchdog to investigate new allegations about undeclared support.
The request follows reports that the populist right-wing Reform UK leader received security, accommodation and social media assistance ahead of entering Parliament in 2024.
What is Faraz accused of?
of britain sunday times The newspaper reported that Farage’s longtime ally George Cottrell had provided Farage with security services, social media support and accommodation during the year before he was elected as an MLA.
according to The Sunday TimesCottrell pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the United States in 2017 and now works in the cryptocurrency sector. Under parliamentary rules, newly elected MPs must declare financial interests and most benefits received in the 12 months before entering Parliament, although some personal gifts are exempt.
Faraz’s spokesman dismissed the report as “baseless and fabricated”, and said no parliamentary rules had been broken.
Liberal Democrat member Josh Babarinde wrote to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg requesting an investigation, saying the alleged endorsement raised “a serious question” about whether Farage had complied with the lawmaker’s disclosure rules.
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Faraz is already under investigation over whether he should have declared a £5 million ($5.84 $6.7 million) gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne before entering Parliament.
Faraz has said that the money was an unconditional personal gift intended to pay for his security and therefore did not need to be declared under parliamentary rules. The donation only became public after it was reported by a newspaper in April.
If the watchdog concludes that Farage has committed a serious breach of Parliament’s 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 latest allegations come as Reform UK leads in national opinion polls, leading to greater scrutiny of the party and its finances.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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