The investigation concerns a potential breach of rules around declaring interests
Nigel Farage is under investigation by the parliamentary watchdog over a potential breach relating to declaring his financial interests.
Farage said the probe was in relation to a complaint by a peer, who he did not name.
The investigation relates to a potential breach of Rule 5 of the MPs’ code of conduct which states MPs must declare any change to their interests within 28 days.
Farage has insisted the matter does not relate to “any undeclared income”.
There are several possible reasons Farage may be under investigation for an undeclared interest.
In June, a Hope not Hate investigation questioned why Farage had not declared ownership of a fishing boat, after he told GB News in April that he is “heavily invested” in fishing and owns a commercial fishing vessel.
He said: “I’m the only member of Parliament that has a financial stake in the commercial fishing industry […] I own a commercial fishing boat […] I have a skipper who runs that boat.”
The anti-extremism campaign group Hope not Hate said: “It also came as a surprise to anyone who has read Farage’s entries in the Parliamentary Register of Interests, in which not a single reference to boats or fish can be found amongst his many other side-jobs and foreign jollies.”
A commercial fishing vessel would count as a declarable interest, even if, as Farage later claimed, he “doesn’t make any money on it”.
In March, the Good Law Project made a formal complaint to the parliamentary standards commissioner over Farage’s failure to declare media support from a Donald Trump advisor.
The Reform UK leader has received help from US PR firm Capital HQ with US speaking engagements, political meetings, media appearances and travel since February 2023.
Capital HQ, run by Alexandra Preate, who Trump appointed as an advisor to the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has provided Farage with extensive free media help.
Parliament’s code of conduct requires MPs to declare donations over £1,500 from a single source in a year, as well as “support in kind” if provided either free or at concessionary rates, including advice or information services, receptions and events, training or development for the member of his or her staff.
Between 27 September 2024 and 17 February 2025, Farage contacted the firm almost daily via “telephone, email and text”. He still hasn’t declared any of this help in the MPs’ register of financial interests.
In October 2024, a Guardian and Good Law Project investigation revealed that Farage had failed to declare support from Capital HQ for hotels, transport and media appearances in the States over the summer.
On top of his £93,904 MP salary, Farage has 12 side jobs that have netted him over £1 million since his election last July.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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