Alastair Campbell hits out over Nigel Farage £5million reward from billionaire
Former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell told The Mirror that a £5million gift to Nigel Farage was not covered by the media in the same way a gift of glasses to Keir Starmer was
Alastair Campbell has said Nigel Farage’s £5million gift from a crypto billionaire should be better known following the revelation this week.
The former Labour spin doctor complained that the seven-figure sum given to him by Reform donor Christopher Harborne is “not even on the news”. This week the Conservatives called for watchdog the Electoral Commission to investigate.
Reform UK has insisted the money was an “unconditional personal gift” and said rules had been followed. Speaking to The Mirror at the Sport Industry Awards on Thursday, he said the Government must succeed, warning the alternative would be a “total and complete disaster for the country. Mr Campbell, who was Tony Blair’s communications chief, said: “All I’m saying about the Labour government is vote Labour on Thursday. That’s all I’m saying.”
But pressed further he said: “Well, if the Labour government fails it means that the likelihood of going down the right-wing populist route, which would be a total and complete disaster for this country, is likely.
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“So the Labour Government’s got to succeed, and I think they can succeed.” The former spin doctor went on: “I wish that the media would be a bit more fair and balanced about who they are and what they do…
“I think people got so used during the Tory years to sort of, let’s change a Prime Minister every five minutes. It’s complete nonsense.”
And he complained that the revelation that Mr Farage had been given £5million in 2024 had not got more coverage. Mr Campbell said: “Let me give you an example.
“Nigel Farage gets exposed for taking £5m without declaring it, it’s not even on the news, it’s not even on the news. Whereas Keir Starmer gets his specs paid for by (Labour peer) Waheed Ali and gets a few Arsenal tickets and it leads the news for weeks.”
In 2024, shortly after the 2024 general election, Mr Starmer was heavily criticised after declaring £19,000 in clothes and glasses from Lord Ali.
On Thursday the Electoral Commission said it was considering looking into the money given to Mr Farage, which he said he uses to pay for his security. Parliamentary rules state new MPs have to declare political donations and political gifts in the year before they enter Parliament.
The gift was given in 2024, before Mr Farage announced his candidacy to run as an MP. The £5m does not appear in the members’ register of interests. Mr Farage, who says the seven-figure sum was not a political gift but was given to him to pay for his personal security, is now facing calls for a probe into his standards.
On Tuesday, when The Guardian first reported the gift, Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “As a new Member of Parliament, Mr Farage was obliged to report to the House of Commons all political donations and political gifts he received during the previous 12 months.
“The Conservatives are today referring Nigel Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. This £5million raises serious questions.
“What is Nigel Farage hiding? And why does Reform think the rules don’t apply to them?” Labour’s Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage appears to have broken the rules again by failing to declare this cash from his billionaire backer.
“It’s not good enough for Reform to gloss over these egregious acts and further erode public trust in politics.”
Mr Harborne has donated £22m to Reform since 2019. At the time of the £5m was given to him in 2024, Mr Farage had said he had no intention of standing.
Reform claims it is confident rules have been followed, saying: “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.”
Harry Quilter-Pinner, of the IPPR think-tank, said: “Reports that Christopher Harborne provided Nigel Farage with £5m shortly before his change of stance on standing as an MP will inevitably prompt questions.”
