Nigel Farage has told friends that he is worried about facing a by-election if he is found to have broken rules over an undeclared £5m gift from a crypto billionaire, The i Paper can reveal.
The Reform UK leader awaits the verdict of an investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner into whether he should have declared the gift from British-Thai businessman Christopher Harborne.
Sanctions for a breach of the rules range from an apology in the House of Commons to a suspension. If he is punished with a ban of 10 days or more from the Commons, Farage would face the prospect of a recall petition that could trigger a by-election in his Clacton constituency.
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Caption: Undated handout photo issued by Vertical Aerospace of Valo, its new commercial eVTOL aircraft that will enter into service following regulatory approval. Issue date: Wednesday December 10, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Vertical Aerospace/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Vertical Aerospace
Provider: Vertical Aerospace/PA Wire
Source: PA
SCIENCE
Are flying taxis the future of urban air travel?
Electric flying taxis could be above the streets of London by 2028, a manufacturer has claimed. Here’s what you need to know.
What you need to know
Vertical Aerospace have developed an electric aircraft called ‘Valo’
It takes off vertically, then the propellers tilt
It is powered by battery packs and can carry up to four people
It can travel up to 150mph, covering the trip from Canary Wharf to Heathrow in 12 minutes
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
What happens next?
Vertical Aerospace is still testing the aircraft and it will need to be approved by both the approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA). But the company says the aim is for air taxis to become as cheap and convenient as ordering an Uber to the airport.
Caption: Undated computer generated image (CGI) issued by by Vertical Aerospace of Valo, its new commercial eVTOL aircraft that will enter into service following regulatory approval. Issue date: Wednesday December 10, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Vertical Aerospace/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Vertical Aerospace
Provider: Vertical Aerospace/PA Wire
Source: PA
Dispatch
5 min read
Sycamore Gap sapling stolen from National Trust castle
The famous tree was illegally felled in 2023 – now one of the 49 saplings grown from its seeds has gone missing.
Caption: (FILES) A picture taken on June 4, 2023 shows the Sycamore Gap tree along Hadrian’s Wall near Hexham, northern England. The two men guilty of felling of one of the UK’s most iconic trees, sparking national outrage, were jailed on July 15 with a sentence of four years and three months. A jury at Newcastle Crown Court in May found the two guilty of criminal damage for the 2023 felling of the tree at Sycamore Gap. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: OLI SCARFF
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
What you need to know
The sapling was stolen from Wray Castle in Cumbria between 9 June and 16 June.
Cumbria police are investigating and have asked for information.
Experts believe the sapling may be viewed as valuable by collectors.
Jez Westgarth from the National Trust said: “We don’t understand it but we would really like the sapling back.”
Seaside Break
5 min read
Sycamore Gap tree targeted again
The original Sycamore Gap tree had stood for at least 100 years before it was cut down in the night by two men using a chainsaw. Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 33, were jailed for four years and three months last year. They have never said why they felled it.
Caption: Undated handout photos issued by Northumbria Police of Daniel Daniel Graham, 39, (left) and Adam Carruthers, 32, who are due to be sentenced on Tuesday after they were found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court of criminal damage after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree – valued at ?622,000 and ?1,114 damage to Hadrian’s Wall. Issue date: Tuesday July 15, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Northumbria Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Northumbria Police
Provider: Northumbria Police/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA
NEWS
3 min read
Caption: File photo dated 07/03/16 of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, shining over the Sycamore Gap at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. A section of the Sycamore Gap tree which was illegally felled is to go on public display, with visitors encouraged to touch or even hug its trunk. Artist Charlie Whinney has been commissioned to create an artwork in tribute to the much-loved tree which stood beside Hadrian’s Wall and was a symbol of Northumberland, a place for family memories and a beautiful link to the natural world. Issue date: Thursday July 10, 2025. PA Photo. A 6ft section of the trunk was preserved after it was chopped down in the middle of the night in September 2023, and almost two years later it has been made into a striking installation. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Photographer: Owen Humphreys
Provider: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA
UK news
Appeal for tree’s return
This tree symbolised resilience and renewal, and its loss will be deeply felt.
Laura Lee, from Wray Castle, urged those who stole the sapling to return it as the “tree belongs to everyone”.
What to know as child rescued six days after Venezuela earthquake
President Delcy Rodríguez described the child’s miraculous rescue as a “source of hope for our people”.
Volunteers search for survivors and victims after two earthquakes struck Venezuela. (Picture: Lin Chunyin/China News Service via Getty Images)
What you need to know
A vigil in tribute to victims of Venezuela’s deadly earthquakes, outside Valencia Cathedral (Photo: REUTERS/Eva Manez)
Pulled from the rubble
The three-year-old boy, named as Klieber Morán, was rescued alive from the rubble in the state of La Guaira.
Trapped
A Jordanian search and rescue team helping in Venezuela first used to cameras to locate the boy.
Members of the French Civil Security Training and Intervention Regiment in Caraballeda (Photo: Miguel MEDINA/POOL/AFP/Getty)
Families pick clothes at a shelter for the victims of an earthquake that struck Venezuela. (Picture: Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
Cheers of joy
There were cheers of joy and applause as Klieber was freed and taken to hospital.
Watch more from The i Paper
Hope among the death toll
Klieber is in a stable condition in hospital. His survival is well beyond the limit of three days, which experts say is usually the longest someone can survial under rubble after an earthquake.
Mourners at a mass for Venezuela after two earthquakes struck the country. (Picture: Pedro Lazaro Fernandez/Reuters)
Analysis
4 min read
The latest from Venezuela
The death toll in Venezuela is now over 1,900
Thousands are still reported missing despite rescue efforts
The UK Government will match public donations to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s appeal
NEWS
3 min read
Two officers under investigation over Henry Nowak arrest
The 18-year-old was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on 3 December last year.
Caption: Undated handout file photo originally issued on 07/12/25 by Hampshire Police of Henry Nowak. Sikh man Vickrum Digwa has been jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025. Issue date: Monday June 01, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Hampshire Police
Provider: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
Source: pa
Copyright: PA
What you need to know
Caption: Floral tributes for Henry Nowak are pictured outside of Southampton Central Police Station in Southampton, southern England, on June 3, 2026. British police chiefs are reviewing anti-racism guidance following outrage over the treatment of a white student, who was handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed by a Sikh man, officials said June 3. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: BEN STANSALL
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Watchdog probe
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct.
Henry handcuffed before he died
They failed to realise Henry had been stabbed, proceeding to arrest and handcuff him instead.
Caption: Undated handout photo issued by Hampshire Police of Vickrum Digwa who has been found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of the murder of university student Henry Nowak, who he stabbed to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife. Digwa told police a “wicked lie” that he was the victim of a racist attack after he stabbed finance student Henry Nowak, from Chaffod Hundred, Essex, five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025. Issue date: Thursday May 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Hampshire Police
Provider: Hampshire Police/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA
Caption: Undated handout photo issued by the Crown Prosecution Service of the murder weapon used by Vickrum Digwa who has been jailed at Southampton Crown Court for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak. Digwa stabbed Henry to death with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife five times in the incident in Belmont Road, Southampton, on December 3 2025. Issue date: Monday June 01, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: CPS/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: CPS
Provider: CPS/PA Wire
Source: pa
Failures
The IOPC will investigate whether Henry should have been given first aid sooner and the decision to arrest.
What comes next?
Digwa was jailed for life in June with a minimum term of 21 years, but the IOPC will now investigate the officers.
The IOPC is also looking at whether race or religion played a role in what happened.
The investigation could mean Hampshire officers face disciplinary proceedings and lose their jobs.
Hampshire and Ise of Wight Constabulary is also co-operating with the investigation.
The probe was expanded following consultation with Henry’s family.
What the IOPC says
There is clear evidence that public confidence in the force may have been seriously harmed by this incident, and that is a factor we must consider when assessing the evidence
IOPC director of engagement, Derrick Campbell
Caption: Demonstrators hold a banner reading ‘Starmer = Responsibile. Your Hate Words!!’ as they protest about the Police’s handling of the detention of victim Henry Nowak, outside Southampton Central Police Station in Southampton, southern England, on June 2, 2026, following the conviction of his murderer Vickrum Digwa. Body camera footage of dying student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed by British police after being stabbed by Sikh man Vickrum Digwa, and falsely accused of racially abusing his murderer sparked outrage Tuesday. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JUSTIN TALLIS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
Village People frontman Victor Willis dies aged 74
Victor Willis, the frontman of the 1970s group the Village People, has died it has been announced.
Caption: CIRCA 1980: The Village People pose for a Casablanca Records publicity shot circa 1980 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Photographer: Michael Ochs Archives
Source: Michael Ochs Archives
Copyright: REDFERNS
1970s disco icons
The singer died following a “short but aggressive illness” on Monday, according to the statement.
They shot to stardom with hits including ‘YMCA’, ‘Go West’, ‘Mancho Man’ and ‘In The Navy’, which they sang while dressed as archetypal macho characters. Willis was alternately a policeman and and naval officer.
Caption: VANCOUVER, BC – SEPTEMBER 02: Victor Willis of Village People performs on stage at PNE Amphitheatre on September 2, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
Photographer: Andrew Chin
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2018 Andrew Chin
Caption: (L-R) Chad Freeman, James Kwong, J.J. Lippold, Angel Morales, Victor Willis, Sonny Earl of Village People attend the 7th Annual Streamy Awards, on September 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California. / AFP PHOTO / VALERIE MACONVALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images
Photographer: VALERIE MACON,
Provider: AFP/Getty Images
Copyright: AFP
Legacy cemented
In 2020, YMCA was inducted to both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry, which “ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s audio heritage”.
Caption: Portrait of the original members of the American disco group The Village People, from left to right: Randy Jones (the cowboy); David Hodo (the construction worker); Felipe Rose (the American Indian); Victor Willis (the cop); Glenn Hughes (the leatherman) and Alexander Briley (the G.I.). (Photo by CBS Archive/Getty IMages)
Photographer: CBS Photo Archive
Provider: Getty Images
Source: CBS
Copyright: Copyright CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Credit: CBS Photo Archive.
Caption: VANCOUVER, BC – SEPTEMBER 02: Victor Willis of Village People performs on stage at PNE Amphitheatre on September 2, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
Photographer: Andrew Chin
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2018 Andrew Chin
Willis achieved two UK top 10 singles including YMCA, which has become a gay anthem, despite the singer claiming in 2024 that it was not the song’s intention.
Energy price cap comes into effect – what to know
Around 5.3 million households will be affected by the change from Wednesday, 1 July.
The Government has included various measures in the King’s Speech to cut energy bills (Jacob King/PA)
What you need to know
The price cap, set by regulator Ofgem, will increase by 13 per cent
Electricity goes from 24.67p a kilowatt hour to 26.11p, while gas charges will rise from 5.74p a kWh to 7.33p
The average bill will increase by £221 to £1,862 a year
The jump is driven by a spike in prices caused by the Middle East conflict
Analysis
4 min read
What comes next?
Consumers are being urged to see if they can get a cheaper fixed deal. Forecasts suggest bills will remain high throughout winter, falling by only around 0.5% in October. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing repairs to infrastructure will mean prices remain high, if less volatile than in the spring.
The US-Israeli war with Iran largely stopped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply, along with products such as aluminium and urea (Photo: Amirhosein Khorgooi/Reuters)
NEWS
3 min read
What the Government says
We know families are deeply concerned about rising energy bills because of a war we did not choose, and we are determined to fight their corner to tackle energy affordability
Minister for energy consumers Martin McCluskey
There are multiple easy ways you can shave money off your energy costs (Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP)
The new Motability reforms – from tax hikes to mileage limits
Motorists will be hit by a swathe of new taxes and mileage regulations from today.
Motorists will be capped at an average of 10,000 miles per year under changes to the Motability Scheme (Photo: Nigel Harris/Getty Images/iStock Editorial)
Government wants to cut costs
Changes come into force today in a bid to reduced costs by £1bn by 2030. Luxury car models, such as BMWs and Audis, have already been removed from the scheme in a change campaigners called a “direct attack” on disabled people.
Caption: A feature on Motability in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside. The Peugeot Simon Bailes dealership in Stockton.
Photographer: Chris BOOTH
Copyright: CHRIS BOOTH PHOTOS
NEWS
4 min read
What you need to know
From today, 20 per cent VAT applies to advance payments on new orders
Most deals will include Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 12 per cent
A 30,000-mile cap over three years
Tyre replacements no longer unlimited
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
What the government says
Today’s changes are driven by the fairness that underpins this Government – fairness for the taxpayer, fairness for disabled people and fairness for the country
pat mcfadden, work and pensions secretary
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 23: British Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations Pat McFadden arrives at 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting in London, United Kingdom, on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu
How much Donald Trump made from crypto last year, revealed
The US President has made huge sums of money since taking office, his mandatory financial report shows.
President Donald Trump has narrowly lost the Supreme Court vote he hoped would assist mass deportations – but he won’t give up easily (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Trump’s crypto fortune
$1bn
How much Trump made from his family’s crypto ventures, as declared in a filing for the year 2025.
US presidents must publicly share their assets, liabilities and income sources each year.
$635m (£479m) came from the Trump ‘memecoin’ he launched days before his inauguration as President in 2025
$500m (£377m) came from World Liberty Financial, a crypto company he co-founded with his sons
What his critics say
Democrats have raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest. Senator Elizabeth Warren warned Trump’s coins could be covertly bought by hostile states.
Trump’s financial disclosure covers 927 pages. Barack Obama’s final form was nine pages, and Joe Biden’s was 11.
US Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Segar)
NEWS
3 min read
Russell Vought is currently the director of the Office and Management and Budget (OMB), a hugely important role that practically nobody in America knows anything about. (Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)
world
Trump’s mastermind who took control of America’s money
When most White House officials see the president who hired them leave office, they think about where they’re going to land their next job. Russell Vought thought about how to bend the entire government to his will when he got back in power.
A recall petition is a process that can trigger a by-election if at least 10 per cent of eligible voters in a constituency sign the petition.
Farage has told friends that he is worried about the prospect of facing a by-election in the seat, according to an insider. Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe has warned that his Restore Britain party would throw everything they have at trying to derail Farage’s political career.
Farage won the Clacton seat comfortably in 2024 with an 8,405-vote majority, and overturning it would require a substantial swing away from Reform.
Reform insiders have also fuelled rumours that Farage may be losing the appetite to lead the party into the next election. Farage has been surprised that the row over the £5m gift appears to have cut through with the electorate, and fears he risks being painted in the same light as his nemesis Boris Johnson, whose premiership was mired by scandal, a source claimed.
When approached by The i Paper with the claims, a Reform spokesman said that Farage has broken no rules.
“Mr Farage has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules have been broken,” the spokesman said.
“We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.”
One former Reform staffer told The Observer that they questioned whether Farage would even contest a by-election. They suggested he was “laying the ground for things to go against him” and could use it “as an excuse for a route out”.
Farage himself has kept a notably lower profile in recent weeks, surfacing mainly for a round of interviews last week in which he faced repeated questions over the £5m gift. He told the BBC that it was a private matter but appeared to concede he could face a sanction, adding: “The standards commissioner may take a different view.”
In 2015, a new rule was introduced requiring newly elected MPs to declare any benefits or financial support connected to their political activities in the year before an election. The change came following a recommendation from a European anti-corruption watchdog.
Alex Burghart MP, the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “It would be something of an irony if Nigel Farage was undone by anti-corruption advice from the Council of Europe.
“But these anti-corruption rules exist for a reason and his excuses for accepting this extraordinary sum of money from a Thai-based crypto billionaire keep changing.”
Harborne, a Thai-based, British-born cryptocurrency investor, gave Farage the sum just weeks before he decided to stand in the 2024 general election and take over as Reform leader.
The gift was not declared. The billionaire last year gave Reform £9m, the largest donation to a UK party by a living person, making him the biggest political donor in modern British history. He has donated £15m to the party since 2025.
Reform has championed a pro-crypto agenda. Policies the party is considering include making bitcoin part of the UK’s official reserves, allowing tax payments to be made with cryptocurrencies and lowering capital gains tax on crypto sales.
Farage has claimed the £5m gift was an exempt “personal, unconditional gift”. He told The Daily Telegraph the money paid for his private security, told broadcasters he had “no obligation” to declare it because it was “purely private” and “wasn’t political in any sense at all”. He also told The Sun it was a “reward for campaigning for Brexit”, and added that he “cannot be bought by anybody”.
However, his critics have suggested it may breach ethics rules that were clarified following former Tory prime minister Johnson’s declaration of a £15,000 holiday in Mustique. Johnson argued that the holiday, which was funded by the Tory donor David Ross in early 2020, was part of a private arrangement between friends.
However, Parliament’s Standards Committee, which deals with serious or disputed cases following investigation by the standards commissioner, rejected that, ruling that a benefit from a friend who is also a party donor could “reasonably be thought to influence” an MP and therefore had to be registered.
The finding was made despite Johnson eventually being cleared of breaking parliamentary rules over the trip because of the complex nature of how it was paid for.
The standards commissioner is expected to report back soon.
Serious rule breaches are referred to Parliament’s Standards Committee, which can recommend sanctions. The committee consists of seven MPs, including four Labour MPs , two Tories, one Lib Dem and seven lay members.