Overview
- Nigel Farage says he has no duty to report the £5 million from Christopher Harborne, calling it an unconditional personal gift tied to his long-term security.
- Conservative officials asked Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg to assess whether any of the money supported political activity, while opposition parties pressed for probes including a Liberal Democrat request that the FCA review Farage’s links to Stack BTC.
- Reform UK says the transfer came before Farage decided to run in Clacton, placing it outside campaign disclosure rules under the party’s reading of current law.
- Harborne, a major Reform UK backer who holds a reported 12% stake in stablecoin issuer Tether, described the transfer as unconditional and irrevocable and said he expected nothing beyond Farage’s safety.
- The row unfolds as the government imposes a moratorium on crypto donations after the Rycroft review warned that digital assets can mask foreign money in UK politics.