Nigel Farage has alleged that his phone was hacked by Russian spies in order to access information regarding his controversial £5 million gift. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is investigating whether Farage violated Commons rules by not disclosing the gift from Christopher Harborne. Farage contends that he was not obligated to declare the gift.
Reports indicate that Farage, the leader of Reform UK, grew suspicious that he had been targeted by foreign state operatives following the revelation of the donation from Christopher Harborne. Reform UK asserts that the £5 million was an unrestricted personal gift, and Farage stated that the funds were intended for his personal security expenses, later characterizing it as a “reward” for his involvement in Brexit campaigning.
Questions have arisen about why Farage did not declare the £5 million from Harborne, as parliamentary regulations mandate that newly elected MPs declare relevant gifts and donations received in the year before their election. The initial disclosure about the donation was made by The Guardian, with no implication that the newspaper was involved in any illicit activities. Farage, however, questioned The Guardian’s judgment in light of the revelation.
In an interview with The Sun, Farage expressed dismay that details of the gift were made public, labeling it a “disgrace.” The source at The Guardian dismissed Farage’s accusations, stating that they were an attempt to divert attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial matters. The source also highlighted Farage’s failure to address significant queries regarding the £5 million gift.
Farage now claims that his phone was compromised by Russian spies through spear phishing tactics to access information about the £5 million gift. He submitted his mobile phone for analysis by counter-espionage experts, who concluded that hostile state actors, likely linked to Moscow, had infiltrated his phone, email, and bank accounts. Farage condemned Russia’s actions as a threat to British security.
Farage maintains that there is no correlation between the £5 million gift and the £1.4 million house he purchased shortly thereafter.