Reform has not provided evidence for its claim that experts found hostile state actors ‘almost certainly linked to Moscow’ sought to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts
Nigel Farage claims a £5m gift he received was exposed as his phone was hacked, potentially by Russia,(Image: Getty Images)
Nigel Farage faces questions over his finances after he claimed Russian spies hacked his phone to expose a secret £5million “gift” from a crypto billionaire.
But the Reform UK leader was accused of muddying the waters over the controversial handout from tycoon Christopher Harborne. Mr Farage said the money was to pay for his personal security, then claimed it was a “reward for campaigning for Brexit”.
A Labour spokesman said: “Farage’s finances get murkier and murkier. He can’t keep stonewalling this issue and changing his story. The British people will only be left believing they can’t trust a word he says.”
Mega-donor Christopher Harborne gave Nigel Farage £5million as a gift in the run up to the election(Image: Linedin)
Reform heaped further mystery on the “gift” when a source claimed: “Only four people in the world knew about the donation.” It raises questions over how so few people knew and why the gift needed to be kept such a closely guarded secret.
Mr Farage did not declare the gift in the register of members’ interests, having received it just before he was elected as an MP in the 2024 election. The party claims a forensic probe by counter-espionage experts found hostile state actors “almost certainly linked to Moscow” had sought to compromise his phone, email and bank accounts.
Mr Farage said: “These actions by Russia are deeply concerning and highlight the threat they pose to British security.” The episode threatens to deepen scrutiny of Mr Farage’s conduct at a politically sensitive moment for Reform UK, which has sought to present itself as a party for ordinary people while increasingly relying on wealthy benefactors.
Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all demanded answers over the payment, the circumstances surrounding it, and whether anything had been offered in return. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: “The fact that anyone knew about Farage’s £5m, and it still was not declared, raises further questions that demand answers. Declarations for an incoming MP are a requirement.
