New undercover footage has piled fresh pressure on Nigel Farage over a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
The Reform UK leader has come under intense scrutiny in recent months over the gift – which he did not declare once he became an MP – which he initially claimed was given to pay for private security for the rest of his life but later said was a “reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years”.
In undercover footage published by The Guardian, one of Mr Farage’s closest aides Dan Jukes can be seen discussing the furore over the gift – adding that his claim about Brexit was not a “press office line”.
Asked about the gift, he told an undercover reporter that the situation was “a little bit awkward”.
“That was not the line to take from the press office,” he said. “So, I think now the line is it was a thank you for Brexit to pay for security, so he is safe for the rest of his life.”
The undercover reporter then suggested that people did not mind if Mr Farage “makes a few bob [from politics]”.
Mr Jukes replied: “Well it’s a bit priced in with our Nige, isn’t it – no one’s voting for him to be the pope.”
In response, a spokesman for Mr Farage said: “The transcript you’re referring to accurately describes that the gift was for his security for the rest of his life.”
Mr Jukes, who has been Mr Farage’s right hand man for years, was serving as the party's long-term media chief when he stepped down from his role last month in light of an undercover Channel 4 documentary.
The party’s own internal investigation concluded that he did not break electoral law when senior figures discussed how to disguise foreign donations in the documentary.
Mr Farage has been interviewed by the standards commissioner over an investigation into whether he should have declared the £5 million gift.
Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where it “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
Mr Farage has said the gift was not political and insisted he has done nothing wrong.
Mr Harborne is one of two crypto-billionaires who donated £72 million to Reform.
The twin £36 million gifts from Ben Delo and Mr Harborne reignited calls for a blanket cap on donations, going further than legislation aimed at restricting donations from overseas sources.
It comes as Reform UK has been faced with a series of undercover stings which revealed racist, sexual and violent rhetoric among its members.
Several Reform UK members have been suspended or resigned as the party faces intense scrutiny over the fresh revelations.
It has been accused of “appalling behaviour” and “extreme racism” following footage released from an undercover investigation called Undercover: A Year in Reform by ITV Exposure, screened on Sunday night.
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