Reform has not provided evidence for its claim that experts found hostile state actors ‘almost certainly linked to Moscow’ sought to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts
Nigel Farage faces questions over his finances after he claimed Russian spies hacked his phone to expose a secret £5million “gift” from a crypto billionaire.
But the Reform UK leader was accused of muddying the waters over the controversial handout from tycoon Christopher Harborne. Mr Farage said the money was to pay for his personal security, then claimed it was a “reward for campaigning for Brexit”.
A Labour spokesman said: “Farage’s finances get murkier and murkier. He can’t keep stonewalling this issue and changing his story. The British people will only be left believing they can’t trust a word he says.”
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Reform heaped further mystery on the “gift” when a source claimed: “Only four people in the world knew about the donation.” It raises questions over how so few people knew and why the gift needed to be kept such a closely guarded secret.
Mr Farage did not declare the gift in the register of members’ interests, having received it just before he was elected as an MP in the 2024 election. The party claims a forensic probe by counter-espionage experts found hostile state actors “almost certainly linked to Moscow” had sought to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts.
Mr Farage said: “These actions by Russia are deeply concerning and highlight the threat they pose to British security.” The episode threatens to deepen scrutiny of Mr Farage’s conduct at a politically sensitive moment for Reform UK, which has sought to present itself as a party for ordinary people while increasingly relying on wealthy benefactors.
Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all demanded answers over the payment, the circumstances surrounding it, and whether anything had been offered in return. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: “The fact that anyone knew about Farage’s £5m, and it still was not declared, raises further questions that demand answers. Declarations for an incoming MP are a requirement.
“What did a Thailand-based crypto billionaire want in return? And when Farage took his seat in Parliament, why did he decide the rules that apply to everyone else did not apply to him?”
The Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “However this information came to light, Nigel Farage just needs to come clean now about whether he promised anything to Harborne in exchange for this money.”
And a Labour spokesman said: “Russian interference in our politics is incredibly serious and all political parties have a responsibility to challenge it. Given the seriousness of these claims, Nigel Farage needs to reassure the public that he’s reported this to the security services.”
Under Commons rules, newly elected MPs are required to declare financial interests covering the previous 12 months. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is now examining whether Mr Farage breached those obligations.
Separately, the Electoral Commission is considering whether to open its own investigation. Mr Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand, donated £12m to Reform UK last year.
The Guardian, which broke the story of the £5m gift, has been accused of reporting illegally obtained information but rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. A spokesman said: “This is an absurd claim and an attempt to deflect attention from legitimate scrutiny. Nigel Farage is once again hiding behind a baseless attack on the media rather than facing up to scrutiny. He has repeatedly failed to answer serious public interest questions about the £5million gift he received.”
Mr Farage and Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice have both insisted the gift fully complied with the law.