Farage says Cottrell provided home and filming payment before election
12 reported
Nigel Farage has acknowledged that his close friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, allowed him to use a London home and paid for social media filming prior to the last election, but insisted the support was “totally undeclarable in every single way.” The Reform UK leader spoke about his relationship with Cottrell and a £5m gift from businessman Christopher Harborne in an interview with the Triggernometry podcast. Farage said he sought advice from a “top international lawyer” who told him the £5m did not need to be declared because it was unconditional. He stated that Cottrell has given him nothing since he was elected in July 2024 and that pre-election support was “irrelevant” and unrelated to politics. Farage also claimed his party is being unfairly targeted over a £500,000 donation from Cottrell’s mother, Fiona, which is under police investigation. The support from Cottrell and the £5m from Harborne are under investigation by the standards commissioner over whether they should have been publicly registered.
What’s reported
Farage admitted Cottrell let him use one of his London homes and paid for social media filming before the last election.
Farage insisted the support was “totally undeclarable in every single way.”
Farage spoke about his support from Cottrell and a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne in a Triggernometry podcast interview.
Farage said he sought advice from a “top international lawyer” who told him the £5m did not need to be declared because it was unconditional.
Farage stated Cottrell has given him nothing since he was elected in July 2024.
A £500,000 donation to Reform UK from Fiona Cottrell is under police investigation.
The support from Cottrell and the £5m from Harborne are under investigation by the standards commissioner.
Farage called a byelection in his constituency of Clacton to let voters decide if they want him as MP.
Reform UK is also under scrutiny over £1m sent by Fiona Cottrell to Britain Means Business, a company controlled by Richard Tice.
The Guardian reported that Fiona Cottrell’s money was routed via a UK bank account of an Australian money exchange platform called Oneify.
The Sunday Times reported that George Cottrell opened an account with Oneify in May 2024.
Cottrell’s lawyers stated that any donations by his mother have been entirely her own decision.
Key figures
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader
George Cottrell, friend of Farage and convicted fraudster
Christopher Harborne, Thailand-based businessman
Fiona Cottrell, George Cottrell’s mother
Richard Tice, Reform UK deputy leader
Sources: The Guardian
