𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage has vowed to “smash” the establishment after being plunged into a fresh funding row. The Reform UK leader insisted he has done nothing wrong and “followed the rules” amid reports he received financial benefits from a convicted criminal.

Long-time aide George Cottrell is said to have paid for staffing, security and housing for Mr Farage in the year before he was an MP, which he did not declare. Branding it a “establishment hit job”, the Clacton MP told the Express: “I have done no wrongdoing, followed the rules and I am now considering legal action against the Sunday Times. It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus.”

Mr Cottrell, who was jailed in the US in 2017 for wire fraud, recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the 2024 general election, according to The Sunday Times.

The 32-year-old, known as “Posh George”, also reportedly paid for the Brexiteer’s security during the election campaign and allowed him to use a Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace.

Under rules in place at the time, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where it “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Mr Farage registered a £9,000 trip to Belgium donated by Mr Cottrell and belatedly added £15,000 for a US domestic flight, but no other support.

Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick today insisted that “no rules have been broken whatsoever” and Mr Farage is “not going anywhere”.

Asked if Mr Cottrell paid for Mr Farage’s security and staff in 2024, Mr Jenrick told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, he did, but this was “before he became a member of Parliament”.

The Neward MP added: “A private citizen who’s worried about his own personal security, and by the way, every time Nigel has raised with the authorities his personal security and that of his family, because without question, he is the most endangered person in public life, the authorities have chosen to do next to nothing to help him.

“I think that’s a disgrace. It’s perfectly legitimate for a personal friend to offer you security.

“The question really is, did he need to report this? No, because it was a personal friend, and it was before he was a member of Parliament. There’s nothing to see here.”

Asked if Mr Farage stayed in a townhouse that was being rented by Cottrell, Mr Jenrick said: “I believe Nigel has said that he stayed a couple of times there, very infrequently, as you’re allowed to.”

Mr Jenrick claimed there is a “smear” campaign against Mr Farage because Reform is leading national opinion polls.

He said: “It’s because Nigel is the only person who is going to bring about real change in this country, who is going to tackle the issues that the cosy consensus of politicians, Labour and Conservative, and much of the media, have neglected to do for a long time.”

It comes as Mr Farage is already facing questions about an undisclosed £5 million gift from Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne, which he has said was to pay for his personal security.

Parliament’s standards commissioner is investigating whether Mr Farage should have registered the gift.

If he is found to have breached the rules he could face sanctions, including a Commons suspension that could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his Essex seat.

But Mr Jenrick said: “There’s nothing wrong with it whatsoever. It’s a private gift from a friend to Nigel.”

He added that Reform is “very confident” the investigation will be dismissed.

Cabinet minister James Murray said Mr Farage has a “flexible relationship with transparency” and there were “a lot of questions for him to answer”.

He said: “Frankly, it doesn’t surprise me, because I think quite a lot of questions come up in relation to his finances.”

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell told Times Radio the investigation into Mr Farage should be expanded to include benefits he received from Mr Cottrell.

The Lib Dems have written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to say there is a “serious question as to whether Mr Farage met his obligations under the Code of Conduct for MPs”.

Mr Cottrell first became involved in Ukip as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.

He was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud after admitting attempting to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.