Nigel Farage is facing fresh scrutiny after The Sunday Times reported that he did not declare a range of support linked to his political activity before entering Parliament. The report ties that support to George Cottrell, a former Farage associate with a fraud conviction, during the year before Farage became MP for Clacton on July 4, 2024.
According to the newspaper, Cottrell covered private security, accommodation, drivers, and social media staff for Farage ahead of the general election. Lawyers acting for Cottrell also said he hired employees for Farage’s private office and paid their salaries by bank transfer. House of Commons rules require newly elected MPs to register benefits above £300 received in the previous year if they relate to political activity, while personal gifts are exempt.
Declared trips contrast with broader undisclosed support claims
Farage did register a trip to Belgium funded by Cottrell worth £9,253, and later disclosed a £15,276 flight donation. The new report says no additional support from Cottrell was declared, which is now at the center of the parliamentary disclosure questions.
Cottrell’s role has drawn extra attention because of his criminal history. In 2016, he was arrested at Chicago O’Hare Airport while traveling with Farage. He later pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a money laundering investigation and served eight months in prison.
Crypto gambling links and political funding now overlap
The Sunday Times said Cottrell later became a key figure behind Tether.bet, an offshore gambling platform that accepts cryptocurrencies including Tether’s USDT stablecoin. The paper reported that the platform’s website was registered shortly after Cottrell, Farage, and billionaire investor Christopher Harborne met in London in 2020.
Harborne reportedly owns about 12% of Tether and has donated more than £12 million to Reform UK. He is also the subject of a separate parliamentary standards investigation over an estimated £5 million personal gift made to Farage in 2024. The report also alleged that as recently as 2022, UK customer deposits reached Tether.bet through two British shell companies, one of which allegedly belonged to Reform UK’s current data protection officer. Cottrell denied personally recruiting customers for the platform.
Farage rejects the claims as his crypto positions draw notice
Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg is already examining the previously undisclosed Harborne gift. Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde has asked the commissioner to investigate the newly reported allegations involving Cottrell as well.
Farage, through a spokesperson, rejected the claims and said the report was baseless. His camp maintains that no parliamentary rules were broken and argues the support came before he became an active politician.
The case has also renewed focus on Farage’s cryptocurrency agenda because both Cottrell and Harborne have financial interests in the sector. Farage has pledged that if Reform UK takes power, it would create a Bank of England bitcoin reserve and cut capital gains tax on digital assets. Earlier this year, he also disclosed a 6.3% stake in UK bitcoin treasury firm Stack BTC. Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper had previously asked the Financial Conduct Authority to examine whether his public promotion of cryptocurrencies could amount to market abuse. Farage has continued to deny any link between his financial relationships and his policy positions.