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Nigel Farage is facing a possible second investigation into allegations he overspent on his Clacton election battle by £9,000 after the official watchdog said it was assessing the claims.
The Electoral Commission was asked by Labour to look into Reform UK’s election expenses after a whistleblower told the Daily Telegraph that the party failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills and refurbishment of a bar in its Clacton campaign office.
Anna Turley, the Labour party chair, called on Farage to “urgently come out of hiding” and explain whether his party spent more than the £20,660 limit for campaigning.
In a reply, the commission said it was “considering your letter and assessing other information in accordance with our enforcement policy to determine if there are any potential failures to comply with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000”. Essex police is also currently assessing the allegations.
The whistleblower, Richard Everett, a former Reform councillor and member of Farage’s campaign team, alleges the party’s official returns report came just £400 under the spending limit set by electoral law, and the undeclared spending would have put it above the cap.
In her letter to the commission, Turley said: “If expenditure that ought to have been declared in Mr Farage’s return in Clacton has been included in Reform’s national spending return, or elements of national party expenditure have not been declared at all, there is a real risk that Reform’s party spending return is inaccurate or incomplete, which is a matter for the Electoral Commission.”
Reform has strenuously denied the allegations, with a party spokesperson having said: “The party denies breaking electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”
The spokesperson also described Everett as a “disgruntled former councillor”. Everett defected from the Conservatives to Reform last year, and has since left the party to sit as an independent.
Turley has urged Farage to address the allegations personally, saying they are “incredibly serious” and claiming that he is “treating the British people with contempt by staying silent – he needs to urgently come out of hiding on this issue”.
It was reported last week that Everett first made his complaint to the Metropolitan police.
The force has previously said: “The Met received an online report on Friday 5 December relating to alleged misreported expenditure by a candidate in connection with the 2024 general election.”
Later the same day, Essex police said: “We are assessing a report relating to alleged misreported expenditure by a political party in connection with the 2024 general election, following a referral to us by the Met police.”
While neither police force named a party or a candidate, the Met said the transfer to the Essex force had come about “due to the location of the alleged offences”.
