Nigel Farage Received Hundreds of Thousands from Business Ally, Declared Late
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has admitted to receiving "hundreds of thousands of pounds" from wealthy business backer Jeremy Hosking, details of which were declared late in the parliamentary Register of Members' Financial Interests.
The declaration, updated on Friday, reveals Farage received various benefits from Hosking, a former Conservative Party donor who has contributed £3.7 million to Reform UK and the Brexit Party. These benefits included rent-free accommodation in a London property owned by Hosking and a Range Rover Sport vehicle, also provided without cost. Farage stated that he paid "a commercial rate" for the vehicle for three months. A further £100,000 was listed as a donation for "office and administrative expenses" from Hosking.
Farage, a Member of the European Parliament until 2020, clarified that the payments were for his work with the Brexit Party following the 2019 general election. He asserted he had "done no wrongdoing" and described the payments as a "retainer" for his political activities. The disclosure follows scrutiny over his financial interests and previous undeclared benefits from Hosking, which included accommodation in a Chelsea property and a driver.
Critics, including the Liberal Democrats, have called for transparency, with a spokesperson stating, "the public deserve to know the full truth." Farage's financial arrangements with Hosking, which trace back to at least 2019, have drawn attention to the opaque nature of political funding and the potential for influence from affluent donors.
