Friday, July 03, 2026
Farage in trouble again?
The paper tells us that the Reform UK leader has said his party’s major donor, Christopher Harborne, wanted nothing in exchange for the £15m he donated to the party and the undeclared £5m gift to Farage the Guardian revealed in April.
But, Farage used a private meeting at the Bank to urge its governor, Andrew Bailey, to drop plans for a state-run alternative to the digital currency that has made Harborne, his Thailand-based benefactor, one of the richest people in the world:
As reported by the Guardian last month, Farage told October’s Zebu Live event in London he regarded the Bank’s plans for a digital pound with “total and utter horror”. He recounted the meeting at Threadneedle Street with Bailey. “I asked him straight: ‘Are you still progressing your plans for a British central bank digital currency?’ And the answer was: ‘Yes.’”
His opposition to the “Britcoin” proposal was so strong that, after the meeting last September, he told the Zebu audience of crypto enthusiasts he would be “prepared to go to prison” to stop it.
The Labour MP Phil Brickell, chair of the parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, has now reported Farage’s actions to the standards commissioner, asking him to look into the Reform leader’s interactions with the Bank of England.
The standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is already investigating whether Farage should have declared the £5m gift from Harborne, which he received in the months before he returned to parliament.
However, Brickell said this was a separate matter relating to the parliamentary lobbying rules, which are designed to stop MPs making approaches to public officials or ministers on behalf of companies or individuals that pay them.
Speaking to the Guardian, Brickell said: “Farage took a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne – we know that. We also know that he has since used his platform, both publicly and privately, to advance positions that could benefit Mr Harborne’s crypto interests.
“Before meeting the governor of the Bank of England, Farage openly championed Tether, criticised proposed restrictions on stablecoins and vowed to challenge the Bank’s approach. He has since claimed credit for persuading the Bank to soften its position.”
He added: “This is not simply a debate about cryptocurrency. It is about whether an MP who has received millions from one individual should be lobbying for policies that could increase the value and profitability of that [Reform] donor’s investments. Mr Harborne is a major investor in Tether, a company that stood to gain from the weakening of stablecoin restrictions. Harborne also stood to benefit from opposition to a state-backed digital currency that could compete with private stablecoins."
The BBC reports that US President Donald Trump made more than $1.4bn (£1.05bn) last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency, according to his mandatory financial report. In the UK, there are much stricter rules about what politicians can and cannot do in public office.
As reported by the Guardian last month, Farage told October’s Zebu Live event in London he regarded the Bank’s plans for a digital pound with “total and utter horror”. He recounted the meeting at Threadneedle Street with Bailey. “I asked him straight: ‘Are you still progressing your plans for a British central bank digital currency?’ And the answer was: ‘Yes.’”
His opposition to the “Britcoin” proposal was so strong that, after the meeting last September, he told the Zebu audience of crypto enthusiasts he would be “prepared to go to prison” to stop it.
The Labour MP Phil Brickell, chair of the parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, has now reported Farage’s actions to the standards commissioner, asking him to look into the Reform leader’s interactions with the Bank of England.
The standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is already investigating whether Farage should have declared the £5m gift from Harborne, which he received in the months before he returned to parliament.
However, Brickell said this was a separate matter relating to the parliamentary lobbying rules, which are designed to stop MPs making approaches to public officials or ministers on behalf of companies or individuals that pay them.
Speaking to the Guardian, Brickell said: “Farage took a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne – we know that. We also know that he has since used his platform, both publicly and privately, to advance positions that could benefit Mr Harborne’s crypto interests.
“Before meeting the governor of the Bank of England, Farage openly championed Tether, criticised proposed restrictions on stablecoins and vowed to challenge the Bank’s approach. He has since claimed credit for persuading the Bank to soften its position.”
He added: “This is not simply a debate about cryptocurrency. It is about whether an MP who has received millions from one individual should be lobbying for policies that could increase the value and profitability of that [Reform] donor’s investments. Mr Harborne is a major investor in Tether, a company that stood to gain from the weakening of stablecoin restrictions. Harborne also stood to benefit from opposition to a state-backed digital currency that could compete with private stablecoins."
The BBC reports that US President Donald Trump made more than $1.4bn (£1.05bn) last year from business dealings in cryptocurrency, according to his mandatory financial report. In the UK, there are much stricter rules about what politicians can and cannot do in public office.
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Farage owned Reform as a business when Harborne gave him the money. Should not that money be declared in tax system? He and Delo have given Reforms party millions in crypto. Putting the 'screws' on the BoE threatens its independence. With the fear of a Reform govnt the Bank rolls back a little. The bank could lose its independence and just be another part of business where Farage/crypto would rule the roost. Trump shows how a dubious person can make billions from its use. Where does the ordinary person come into the scene?
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