Nigel Farage faces renewed scrutiny regarding the purchase of his £885,000 Clacton house, with calls for him to provide clarifications. Reports indicate that Farage initially claimed his girlfriend, Laure Ferrari, bought the property in 2017 when she needed a place to stay without incurring expenses.
Ferrari, who previously worked as a waitress in Strasbourg to make ends meet, met Farage while working at a restaurant before joining his European Parliament office. Contrary to Farage’s statement in November about buying the Clacton house, it was revealed that Ferrari purchased the property and paid standard stamp duty rates as her primary residence, avoiding a potential additional 5% charge if Farage had acquired it.
Although Farage admitted to misspeaking about the purchase, he denied providing financial assistance to Ferrari, asserting that she comes from a financially sound French family. However, a BBC investigation found no evidence supporting Ferrari’s ability to purchase the house outright, as there is no registered mortgage for the property.
In response to the mounting inquiries, Farage sought tax advice to ensure compliance with regulations, following criticism directed at others, including Angela Rayner, for tax-related issues. Farage’s legal representatives maintained that there was no improper tax avoidance or evasion involved in the property purchase.
Political opponents, including the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, have criticized Farage for inconsistencies in his statements and called for transparency regarding the house purchase and a recent undisclosed trip to the US for a fundraiser for President Trump. Farage’s spokesperson clarified that Ferrari is the sole owner of the Clacton property, affirming that Farage has no financial stake in it. The issue of the unregistered US trip is expected to be addressed promptly to comply with reporting requirements for MPs.