Nigel Farage has provided a new explanation for why he accepted a \u00a35m gift from a Reform UK donor in the weeks before he announced he would stand in the last general election.<\/p>\n
In an interview on Thursday, Farage said the money was a \u201creward\u201d for campaigning for Brexit. Previously, he had said the gift was given for security purposes, to keep him \u201csafe and secure\u201d for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n
Farage had also claimed the gift was \u201cpurely private\u201d and \u201cwasn\u2019t political in any sense at all\u201d.<\/p>\n
Christopher Harborne, the crypto billionaire who gave Farage the money, said he had done so \u201cto support Nigel\u2019s security not just now but for the rest of his life\u201d.<\/p>\n
The apparent shift from Farage\u2019s original account came on Thursday in an interview with the Sun. Asked about the gift, he said: \u201cAnd this was given to me on an unconditional basis, completely unconditional basis. But frankly, it was given as a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farage said it had no impact on his decision to return to public life. Asked whether \u201che who pays the piper picks the tune\u201d, the Reform leader said: \u201cI can\u2019t be bought by anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
He dismissed reports<\/a> that he had made nearly \u00a32m on top of his parliamentary salary since becoming an MP. \u201cNo one cares. They care if you\u2019re a crook, which I\u2019m not and never have been. But the fact that I made a few quid doing things, this doesn\u2019t worry people at all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The \u00a35m given to Farage, first revealed by the Guardian<\/a>, has prompted a formal investigation<\/a> by the parliamentary standards commissioner, which will examine whether or not the gift ought to have been declared.<\/p>\n The matter is being investigated under rule 5 of the code of conduct for MPs. This requires MPs to \u201cfulfil conscientiously\u201d the requirements to register their interests. MPs are required to, within one month of their election, declare any financial interests and benefits from the 12 months before they won their seats.<\/p>\n Farage said he was unconcerned by the investigation by the parliamentary authorities and another potential inquiry by the Electoral Commission into the \u00a35m. \u201cIt\u2019s got nothing to do with Electoral Commission whatsoever,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not the least bit concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n