Nigel Farage’s attempt to deflect scrutiny over his finances appeared to backfire on Friday as Parliament’s standards watchdog reopened an investigation into undeclared gifts, overshadowing his victory in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader was returned with an increased majority and more votes than in 2024, taking more than 22,000 votes, or 63%, on a turnout of 44%. He celebrated by saying he had “stuck two fingers up at the entire political establishment.”
The probe by the standards commissioner focuses on whether Farage should have declared a series of gifts shortly before the last general election. These include a £5m personal gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, first revealed by the Guardian, and further financial support from his friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster.
Rival parties said the reopening showed Farage’s effort to avoid scrutiny had failed. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said the Reform leader now has “no hiding place” as he tries to “dodge and deflect” criticism. She noted that at least ten questions remain outstanding, including whether Harborne gave money to any other Reform-linked figures. A Conservative spokesperson called the by-election a “farce started by Nigel Farage to try to dodge scrutiny of his fishy £5m personal donation,” adding that all he could boast about was “beating a bloke with a bin on his head.”
Farage, however, played down the allegations. He told GB News: “If I’ve made one sin, it’s that I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’ve broken no law, I’ve broken no tax law, I’ve taken no public money.” Yet he appeared to acknowledge the watchdog could find against him. If the separate standards committee of MPs recommends a suspension of more than ten days, it could trigger a second by-election. That would require the support of more than 10% of Clacton’s electorate — about 7,800 voters — fewer than the number who backed the satirical candidate Count Binface.
Farage also faced criticism for failing to attend the count in Essex, saying police had warned him of an organised disruption attempt. Police said they had given no such advice to any candidate. It later emerged that an anonymous art collective flashmob was demonstrating 15 minutes away from the venue. Farage said he was “damned” if he was going to stand on a stage to be “demeaned and humiliated by nobodies.” Reform UK supporter and commentator Tim Montgomerie criticised his absence, saying Farage should have been on every TV screen underlining his win, rather than striking a “far too dominant aggrieved tone.”
The by-election was called by Farage in early July, saying voters in Clacton should decide if he was fit to be an MP. The move backfired when all main parties declined to stand, leaving him to face dozens of novelty and fringe candidates. According to one report, Farage called the contest after his team advised that leaving Parliament would end the investigation; in fact, it only pauses such processes, which resume if the person is re-elected. Farage has called the probe “a political tool,” while Reform MP Sarah Pochin described it as a “kangaroo court,” a description Reform chair Lee Anderson called “fair comment.” Farage is expected to be interviewed by the standards commissioner when Parliament returns, though the timing of the investigation’s conclusion remains unclear.