Nigel Farage received £5 million from Reform UK's largest donor, Christopher Harborne, prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, sparking accusations of breaking Commons transparency rules.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Reform UK leader stated the money was intended for personal security, saying, "so that I would be safe and secure for the rest of my life." He also revealed that his home was firebombed last year, though he was not present at the time.
Labour and the Conservatives have criticized Farage for failing to declare the gift in the parliamentary register of interests. The Conservatives have referred the matter to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Labour Party chair Anna Turley said Farage "appears to have broken the rules again by failing to declare this cash from his billionaire backer." Conservative chair Kevin Hollinrake added, "Why does Reform think the rules don't apply to them?"
Farage's team argues the money was a personal gift, not subject to declaration rules. A Reform UK spokesman stated, "This was a personal unconditional gift that was given before he was elected. We are confident everything has been declared in accordance with the rules."
Harborne, a British cryptocurrency investor based in Thailand, donated £9 million to Reform UK last year, the largest single donation to a UK political party by a living individual. The £5 million personal gift to Farage was made in early 2024, according to Reform sources.
Farage, who announced his candidacy for the Clacton seat and his takeover as Reform UK leader on June 4, 2024, said Harborne became concerned about his safety after a milkshake was thrown at him in 2019. Farage noted that he had previously failed to obtain security funding from the Home Office.
Describing the firebomb attack on his home in early 2025, Farage told The Telegraph that a lit device was pushed through his letterbox in an "outright arson attempt." The fire burned out before causing extensive damage, and police have not identified suspects.
The Commons code of conduct requires new MPs to register all financial interests and any registrable benefits received in the 12 months before their election within one month of becoming an MP.