The Electoral Commission has confirmed that Nigel Farage’s election spending for the general election will not undergo an investigation. The request to probe the Reform UK leader’s expenses in his constituency came from the Labour party, alleging a potential breach of electoral law due to overspending.
Accusations were made against Mr. Farage’s campaign for inaccurately reporting election expenses during his Clacton MP bid in the 2024 General Election, although he eventually secured the seat after seven previous unsuccessful attempts.
Richard Everett, a former Reform councillor and member of Mr. Farage’s campaign team, claimed that spending on various items such as leaflets, banners, utility bills, and office refurbishments in Clacton had not been properly declared, potentially exceeding the constituency’s spending limit of £20,660.
However, the Electoral Commission clarified that no undisclosed spending by Reform on a national level was identified. Essex Police had initially considered investigating alleged misreported expenditures by a political party but later determined that the time limit for such inquiries had expired.
In response to the allegations, the Electoral Commission conveyed to Reform UK that no credible evidence of electoral law offenses was found, leading to a closure of the inquiry without further action.
Peter Harris, Mr. Farage’s election agent in Clacton, dismissed the complaint as politically motivated and emphasized that the process had been diligently followed, with no grounds for additional accusations. Reform UK had previously refuted any violations of election spending laws and labeled Mr. Everett as a disgruntled ex-councillor removed from the party months earlier.