The right-wing firebrand has enjoyed a first two years in the Westminster parliament, leading Reform to the top of opinion polls while posing countless problems for the ruling Labour party.
But the 62-year-old, known for his role in persuading Britons to leave the European Union, is now the subject of intense scrutiny over the alleged non-disclosure of gifts.
Farage has denied wrongdoing, but his attempts to defend his financial arrangements in interviews have only poured fuel on the fire, while he has halted his weekly press conferences.
“He’s on the back foot,” said Tim Bale, a political analyst at Queen Mary University of London.
In May, the parliament’s anti-sleaze watchdog announced it would probe Farage over the non-disclosure of a £5 million donation from Thailand-based crypto-currency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Farage has insisted that he did not need to declare the money because it was a personal gift to pay for his own security – a claim that Harborne, a major Reform donor, corroborated.
He has also suggested it was a “reward” for campaigning for Brexit and told broadcaster LBC he could “spend it on Ferraris” if he wanted.
“His reaction, for someone who’s normally pretty canny when it comes to the media, is extraordinarily counterproductive,” said Bale.
“He comes over as snippy and as someone who’s got something to hide, which is never a good look.”
The Guardian newspaper, which revealed Harborne’s donation, said it was received weeks before Farage was elected an MP at the July 2024 general election.
New MPs are supposed to register any money they received in the 12 months before their election unless it cannot be “reasonably” seen as linked to political activities.
It is unclear when Daniel Greenberg – the parliamentary commissioner for standards, who investigates alleged breaches of the MPs’ code of conduct and registers – will rule on his findings.
If found to have breached the rules, Farage could face sanctions including a suspension from the House of Commons.
That could trigger a so-called recall petition by which an MP can lose their seat if 10 percent of voters in the constituency sign it.
Farage would be allowed to stand in the resulting by-election for the Clacton constituency in southeast England if he wished.
Far-right alternative Restore Britain would seek “to win” the seat if there is a vote, its leader Rupert Lowe said on Monday. (AFP)
