Nigel Farage’s followers provided Parliament excursions as price ticket seems to interrupt guidelines
Nigel Farage’s fans have been offered tours of Parliament with an MP for £300.
A fundraising email was sent out by Reform UK inviting supporters to a Christmas party at a central London bar and nightclub, with an option to purchase expensive tours around Parliament as an extra. There are restrictions on MPs using their access to Parliament, with the invite appearing to be a breach of House of Commons rules.
In 2020 Green MP Caroline Lucas was found to have breached parliamentary rules by giving a tour of the Commons for a £150 contribution to a fundraising campaign. An investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner found she had breached the Code of Conduct for MPs.
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PA)
Reform UK’s MPs are understood to have been unaware of the event or tours until someone who bought a ticket contacted them. The party said the email, first seen by the Times, was incorrectly sent out by a local branch that wasn’t aware of the rules. Those who have bought a ticket are now being offered a refund.
Reform UK was beset with challenges during the election due to a lack of organisation. Mr Farage pledged to “professionalise” the party after its campaign was plagued with accusations of racism and homophobia, with the party forced to ditch a host of candidates.
Reform UK now has five MPs in Parliament, including Mr Farage, Richard Tice and Tory defector Lee Anderson. The other two MPs are Rupert Lowe and James McMurdock.
Mr Farage’s power over the party has been criticised by members. Tensions spilled over after the election when the Reform UK leader decided to oust his two deputy leaders, despite them having played prominent roles in the lead up to the election. Mr Farage later announced in September he would be “relinquishing” control of Reform UK by giving up his majority shareholder position.
A Reform UK Spokesman said: “This event was set up without our knowledge by the local branch who did not know the rules. This part of the ticket has now been removed and ticket holders are being offered a refund. Reform UK takes the rules of Parliament incredibly seriously.”
