Nigel Farage is under scrutiny in Parliament for a belated disclosure of his interests. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards initiated an inquiry on October 30 regarding Farage’s income and overseas trips. Specifically, the investigation appears to focus on his omission of a visit to Florida to headline a fundraising occasion for Donald Trump earlier in the year.
Farage, who recently announced intentions to reduce benefits, was the keynote speaker at a Republican party dinner in Tallahassee priced at $500 per attendee. A VIP ticket costing £18,445 allowed guests to have a photo opportunity with the Clacton MP, as per promotional materials.
When questioned, Farage attributed the failure to register the trip in parliamentary logs to an oversight by his office. He clarified that he had emailed the trip details to his office but they were not included in the register due to an administrative mistake.
According to parliamentary regulations, MPs must disclose any overseas trips exceeding £300 in cost within 28 days, unless fully funded by the MP or public funds. Additionally, they must separately report any fees or non-monetary compensations received.
In response, a Labour source criticized Farage for insufficient parliamentary attendance and alleged support for austerity measures while favoring foreign billionaires. The Lib Dem Deputy Leader called for transparency concerning Farage’s ties to the Trump administration.
Previously, Farage was investigated over ownership of an undeclared fishing vessel, which was later determined to be owned by a company associated with him rather than a personal asset. Reports revealed that Farage is the highest-earning MP, accumulating over one million pounds from multiple roles since his election.
Since the Brexit referendum, Farage has expanded his property portfolio to £3 million and earns approximately £100,000 monthly. He recently took on a role as a commentator for Rupert Murdoch’s media company, New Corp, earning a substantial amount for minimal hours worked.
Requests for comment from Reform UK, Farage’s political party, went unanswered.
