Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, has found himself in hot water after breaching the MPs’ code of conduct 17 times by failing to register his financial interests on time. In a meeting with the parliamentary standards commissioner, Farage attempted to defend his actions, claiming he doesn’t “make any money” from his £94,000 annual salary as an MP.
Farage, who has earned over £1 million from various second jobs since the last general election, filed late entries for 17 financial interests amounting to more than £380,000. These included payments from GB News, where he is a TV presenter, as well as his ambassador role with precious metal dealer Direct Bullion and various other sources.
In his defence, Farage argued that the MPs’ financial interests system “is not designed for anybody in business” as it requires declaring gross income, including VAT, without deducting staff and salary costs. He insisted that he has “never had problems with the Revenue” and that he is “not making any money as a result of being an MP, quite the opposite.”
The Reform UK leader attributed the late filings to a “gross administrative error” by a member of his staff, claiming that his team’s “political lives have exploded” since the election, leaving them overwhelmed. To address this, Farage said he plans to “staff up” and “get outside money to increase the size of my office.”
A Labour Party spokesman criticized Farage, stating that he is “so distracted with tempting failed Tory politicians into his party that he can’t even get the basics right.” They accused Farage of “lining his pockets” instead of standing up for his constituents.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper echoed similar sentiments, comparing Farage to former US President Donald Trump, stating that “just like his idol, Farage thinks politics is all about lining his own pockets, not serving the people.”
Despite the numerous breaches, the parliamentary standards commissioner decided not to refer the matter to the Committee on Standards, deeming the failures to be “inadvertent” due to staffing and administrative issues. Instead, the commissioner opted for the “rectification process” to address the matter.
