Nigel Farage has admitted failing to register a visit to the United States where he headlined a fundraiser for Donald Trump. The Reform UK leader said the omission was an error by his office and promised to correct the record.
The Sunday Times reported that Farage did not disclose who paid for his March trip to Florida to appear as a special guest at a Republican Party event in Tallahassee. He also failed to report any possible earnings from the appearance.
MPs are required to register visits abroad costing more than £300 within 28 days if not wholly paid for by the MP or public funds. They must also report any fees or payments within the same timeframe.
Farage's explanation
The Clacton MP said the trip was "remunerated in three separate instalments over the course of two months" and that he emailed the details to his office as normal. He explained that travel arrangements were paid for by himself but the submissions were not added to the register.
Farage said: "A correction to the record will be made tomorrow along with an apology to the registrar." The event was reported to have caused him to miss Prime Minister's Questions.
Tables for top-tier "Trump sponsors" at the "Disruptors Dinner" cost 25,000 dollars and included photos with the Clacton MP and tickets to a VIP reception.
Political criticism
Anna Turley, chairwoman of the Labour Party, said Farage had "failed to disclose who funded this US trip, refused to answer questions about his tax affairs, and changed his story about where he lives". She accused him of "jetting off abroad to call for sanctions against our country, putting British jobs at risk" rather than representing constituents.
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "Nigel Farage needs to come clean on who's bankrolling his trips abroad to badmouth Britain." She questioned whether "the Trump administration and their cronies are funding these trips, using Farage as a puppet to meddle in British politics".
Housing controversy
Farage has also faced questions over his constituency home in recent weeks. Following his election as Clacton's MP last year, he claimed in interviews that he had bought a house in his constituency.
It subsequently emerged the property had been bought by his partner, Laure Ferrari, leading to Labour accusations that he had "misled" the public. Had Farage bought the property himself, he would have been liable for a higher rate of stamp duty as he already owns other properties.
The BBC reported that Farage told them on Friday he had had a "very expensive week" seeking advice from tax experts. He said: "The money was legally hers, she bought the house. I don't have any financial stake in it whatsoever - other than she lets me stay there."
Sources used: "Sunday Times", "BBC" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
