Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, has denied allegations that he broke parliamentary rules by not declaring benefits provided to him. A spokesman for Farage said the story was ‘baseless and contrived’ and that no parliamentary rules had been broken.

Background

The allegations stem from a report by the Sunday Times that Farage had received security services, social media support, and accommodation from George Cottrell, a long-standing ally, in the year before his election. Cottrell had previously been involved in cryptocurrency and had pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the United States in 2017.

Farage is already under investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog over a £5 million donation he received from a cryptocurrency billionaire before entering parliament. Farage has said the donation was an unconditional gift and exempt from disclosure rules, and that it was intended to fund his personal security.

The Reform UK party, which is led by Farage, currently tops national opinion polls, making him a possible future prime minister after the 2029 election. As a result, there is increased scrutiny of the party and its leader’s finances.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and ‘registrable benefits’ received in the previous 12 months, although personal gifts are exempt. Britain’s health minister, James Murray, has said that Farage seems to have a ‘flexible relationship with transparency’ when it comes to his finances.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.