The Electoral Commission has been urged to investigate Nigel Farage over allegations that he failed to properly declare donations from a convicted criminal over a five-year period.
Ben Habib, the former deputy leader of Reform UK, told The Independent he has asked the watchdog to look into a failure to declare donations from George Cottrell, a convicted money launderer who provided accommodation and paid for Mr Farage’s security over that period.
Labour’s chair Anna Turley has also published a letter she has written to the Electoral Commission calling for it to investigate.
The row has appeared to have had an effect on a besieged Mr Farage, who is already under investigation from the parliamentary standards watchdog over a £5m donation he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, which he failed to declare.
The Reform UK leader was filmed having an angry outburst at Sky News at the airport on his return from the US, accusing them of harassing his daughter over the issue.
Reform has said Mr Farage was not politically active before he stood for parliament in the 2024 election and declared everything that was appropriate, but Mr Habib, who at the time was central to the party’s operation, has disputed the claims.
He told The Independent: “It is wrong to claim Farage was not in politics when he accepted Cottrell’s largesse. He was the largest shareholder in and director of Reform. He controlled Reform.
“Under Electoral Commission regulations, regulated donees (of which Farage was one) are obliged to disclose donations. He didn’t make a single disclosure between 2019 and July 2024.”
Giving an example of Mr Farage being politically active at the time, he went on: “I do know for sure is that Farage was instrumental in recruiting [Tory defector] Lee Anderson to the party. That was in early 2024. I was against recruiting Lee. Farage wanted him.”
Mr Habib has had a public falling out with Mr Farage and left the party after the 2024 general election briefly forming his own political party, Advance UK.
The Electoral Commission has confirmed that people do not need to be elected MPs to be included in its rules.
A spokesperson said that the rules apply to all members of registered political parties, holders of relevant elective office and members of associations.
The spokesperson said: “Any member of a registered political party is a regulated donee, even if they are not an MP or another elected office holder. Regulated donees are subject to controls on the donations and loans that they can accept in connection with their political activities in their capacity as a regulated donee.
“For party members, this means donations towards their political activities within the party, including campaigning in leadership elections or candidate selections, or developing or promoting policies for adoption by the party.”
It also noted that Mr Farage would have been subject to declarations as a member of the European Parliament in the period between May 2019 and 31 January 2020.
The spokesperson said: “Before the UK left the European Union, an MEP was classed as a holder of a relevant elective office and therefore donations towards their political activities as an MEP would have been regulated.”
Meanwhile, in her letter Ms Turley said: “I am writing to you about some political donations to a regulated donee which have been reported in the media but appear not to have been declared to the Electoral Commission, and which may not be from a permissible donor, to ask you to open an investigation into whether the law has been broken.
“The donations in question, allegedly made in 2023 and 2024 and, in the case of a donation of free accommodation, allegedly still ongoing, were to Nigel Farage, now Leader of Reform UK but then its honorary president and majority owner, from his associate George Cottrell. They were reported by The Sunday Times on 4 July 2026. I set out the issues raised, and the potential breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).”
She highlighted claims by the The Sunday Times that alleged Mr Cottrell paid for a member of staff to support Mr Farage on his social media output, which was used for political and self-promotional purposes in the year preceding the 2024 general election, as well as for a personal assistant.
She added: “In addition, The Sunday Times reports that Mr Cottrell provided Mr Farage with security: Cottrell also provided Farage with security, primarily composed of elite former soldiers, and drivers. He did not specify how much he spent on the personnel, or when payments began. He added: “Our client has not had time to check his records, but the last payment was in Q1 2024.”
She has also asked the watchdog to look at Mr Farage’s status as a registered donee given that he was the largest shareholder in Reform UK and honorary president at the time.
Reform has rejected the allegations and Mr Farage has insisted he acted and declared everything “appropriately”.
A Reform spokesman told The Independent: “Nigel Farage did not hold a political position until he stood for parliament. His owning of shares and honorary title does not get him there. This was all checked.”
Meanwhile, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told a press conference that it is “not for me to judge” whether Mr Farage had broken the rules.
But she warned at the way he and his supporters have been making threats to the press over the coverage of his scandals.
She said: “What we are seeing right now is the sort of chaos which we would see under a Farage government. I am working very, very hard to make sure that we don’t have a reform government.
“What surprised me most was what he said on Sky News where he was being asked questions, and then talked about Levison, so he’s hinting at press regulation.
“For all of the criticism and the attacks, and I would even say abuse that I got from the press, I never once recommended us curbing our free press. I’m very worried about a Reform government using government power to control the press.”
