The Sunday Times claims Farage received support included funding for staffing, security and use of a London property, as ITV News Political Correspondent Romilly Weeks reports
Nigel Farage needs to “level with the public” about financial support given to him by a convicted criminal, Labour has said.
The Reform UK leader is facing intense scrutiny over the support given to him by his long-term associate George Cottrell, which included funding for staffing, security, and the use of a London townhouse, according to The Sunday Times.
Farage has claimed he is the victim of an “establishment hit job” and insisted he had committed “no wrongdoing”.
But chairwoman of the Labour Party Anna Turley urged Farage to stop “blaming the media” and answer questions about the support from Mr Cottrell.
The Cabinet minister and Redcar MP said: “Reform’s excuses for the scandals engulfing Nigel Farage are getting pathetically weak. His top team must be wondering how many more times they will be wheeled out to defend the indefensible, only for the rap sheet against him to grow just hours later.
“This latest revelation appears to pour cold water on Farage’s claims that the gifts and support he received from a convicted criminal were not in support of his political activities.
“Nigel Farage must come out of hiding and level with the public. It’s time he stopped blaming the media and took responsibility for his actions.”
The Sunday Times said Mr Cottrell recruited and paid three staff members to work on Farage’s social media before the General Election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.
Under rules in place at the time of Farage’s election in 2024, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
Labour and the Lib Dems have called for Parliament’s standards commissioner, who is already investigating a £5 million gift Farage received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne, to examine the support from Mr Cottrell.
The Reform leader issued a statement on Sunday, insisting he had not broken any rules.
“I have done no wrongdoing, followed the rules and I am now considering legal action against The Sunday Times,” he said.
“It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus.”
Reform UK’s Treasury Spokesman Robert Jenrick said Mr Cottrell is an “old friend” of Farage and has “no formal role within Reform”.
The Times reported Mr Cottrell handed out a business card printed with his name, the Reform UK logo and Farage’s official email address, despite having no formal role in the party.
After becoming the MP for Clacton in 2024, 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.
Asked if Mr Cottrell paid for 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”.
Mr Cottrell 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.
He was arrested while he and Farage travelled back to Britain following a trip to the US.
Mr Cottrell reportedly remains a close adviser to Farage after first becoming involved in Ukip as a volunteer in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake said on Monday that “questions need answering” and that his party will be raising a complaint to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
“We don’t think this is just a friend, that they had been working in the same party together, the Brexit Party and then the Reform Party subsequent to that,” he said.
“It’s only about the rules applying the same to everybody. Nigel Farage is very critical of Keir Starmer when he received free glasses and free suits and things. So I think it’s only fair that Nigel Farage, the gifts he’s received, whatever they are, also need looking at to make sure no rules have been broken.”
Parliament’s standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is already investigating whether Farage should have registered an undisclosed £5 m gift from Thai-based billionaire Mr Harborne.
If found to have breached the rules, Farage could face sanctions including a Commons suspension that could trigger a recall petition and a by-election in his seat.
Representatives for George Cottrell told ITV News: “Mr Cottrell categorially disputes allegations and assertions made by The Sunday Times, which clearly fail to reflect what that publisher was told in advance of its reporting.
“Mr Cottrell is reviewing this matter with his legal representatives, with a view to taking such steps as may be appropriate to ensure that such false and misleading reporting is suitably corrected.”
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