Key Highlights
- Nigel Farage is under a parliamentary investigation over a £5 million crypto-linked payment from billionaire Christopher Harborne.
- Keir Starmer is publicly pressuring Farage, accusing him of dodging questions and not properly declaring the money under UK rules.
- The case has triggered wider scrutiny of large crypto donations to Reform UK and possible foreign influence in UK politics.
Just days after the political pressure around a £5 million crypto-linked gift intensified, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stepped up his attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, demanding answers over the money which he says was never properly declared and is now at the center of an official parliamentary investigation.
According to a report from The Guardian, Starmer told Parliament that the “£5m question still remains,” and accused Farage of avoiding straight answers. He said Farage was “dodging questions” about the money and asked why it was kept secret in the first place.
“Why is the leader of Reform dodging questions about his donation and why did he keep it secret in the first place?” He asked in Parliament.
The comments came during Prime Minister’s Questions after Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage raised concerns about limits on political donations and the risk of large private money influencing UK politics.
£5 Million crypto payment under spotlight
According to a previous report, the £5 million payment was given to Farage in early 2024 by Christopher Harborne, a crypto billionaire based in Thailand.
The money was received months before Farage became an MP in the 2024 general election. It was first reported by The Guardian and has since triggered a full investigation by the UK Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg. The main question is, should this money have been declared under parliamentary rules?
Under UK rules, MPs must declare any gift or benefit worth more than £300 if it is linked to political activity and was received within 12 months before they take office. Even if a person is not yet an MP at the time, the rules say the timing still matters if there is a political link.
Farage different explanation for the crypto gift
Meanwhile, Farage has changed his explanation more than once. At first, he said the money was meant to pay for his lifetime personal security after past attacks on him, including a milkshake thrown at him and a later firebombing at his home.
But later, he said it was a reward for his work campaigning for Brexit. He has insisted he did nothing wrong and said there was no need to declare it because he was not an MP when he received it.
This lack of consistency has become a key point in the investigation. Officials are now checking whether the payment was personal or political in nature. If it is seen as political, then it should have been declared, even if it was given before he entered Parliament.
Wider funding questions around reform U.K
Meanwhile, this is not the only payment being questioned. Christopher Harborne, who lives in Thailand and holds a large stake in Tether, has reportedly donated more than £12 million to Reform UK in the past year.
His total political donations to the party now exceed £22 million. Another crypto figure, Ben Delo, has also given around £4 million to Reform UK,
Starmer has said the government will take action to protect democracy from “foreign influence and dirty money.” He also pointed to new restrictions on crypto donations and limits on overseas funding, which could make it harder for donors like Harborne to give money in the future unless they meet UK-based rules.
Pressure builds on Farage as investigation continues
Meanwhile, Farage has reported to avoid questions on the matter. He has reduced media appearances since the story broke. There was also a report that he bought a £1.4 million house in Surrey shortly after receiving the £5 million payment, although he says the purchase was planned earlier and paid for with his own earnings.
A previous escalation came when the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner formally opened an investigation, moving the case from referral to full inquiry. That means evidence is now being collected to decide whether Farage breached parliamentary rules.
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