Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, has been found to have breached the MP’s code of conduct a staggering 17 times by failing to register his financial interests on time. This revelation comes from a report released by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, who conducted a formal inquiry into Farage’s compliance with the code.
The investigation uncovered that Farage, who has been dubbed “Nine Jobs Nigel” due to his numerous side hustles outside of his £93,904-a-year salary as an MP, had repeatedly failed to register his interests within the 28-day period set by the House. Greenberg stated that the breaches were “inadvertent” due to “staffing and other administrative issues,” and that Farage has acknowledged the breaches and apologised.
Despite the significant number of breaches, the commissioner decided not to refer the matter to the Committee on Standards, instead opting for the “rectification process.” In a letter to Greenberg, Farage claimed that he has a “very complicated and complex set of interests” due to his work as a TV presenter and “successful private businessman,” in addition to his role as an MP.
Farage’s extensive outside earnings have come under scrutiny, with an analysis by The Mirror revealing that he has pocketed huge sums in travel from donors and authorities around the world. Just last month, he jetted to Abu Dhabi for a race, adding to his growing list of lucrative side gigs.
The Labour Party has criticised Farage, accusing him of being more focused on “tempting failed Tory politicians into his party” than on serving his constituents. A spokesperson stated that Farage is “just lining his pockets” and neglecting the important work that taxpayers expect from their elected representatives.
This latest incident has sparked renewed calls for tighter rules on MPs’ second jobs, with the Labour Party promising to take action if elected. As the debate over parliamentary standards continues, Farage’s apparent disregard for the code of conduct has only added to the ongoing scrutiny of politicians’ outside interests and their commitment to their constituents.
