Financial records cast doubt on Farage’s claim regarding property purchase funding
Discrepancies in Thorn in the Side Ltd’s financial statements challenge assertions that a reality television fee funded a £1.4m house, as the parliamentary standards commissioner investigates an undeclared £5m gift.
Nigel Farage is facing intensified scrutiny over his assertion that he purchased a £1.4m property in Surrey using a £1.5m fee from the reality television series I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, rather than funds from a substantial gift by crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Analysis of company accounts for Farage’s personal media entity, Thorn in the Side Ltd, indicates that no dividends were withdrawn from the firm at the time of the property purchase in May 2024, raising questions about the actual source of the funds.
The Financial Times conducted an analysis of the accounts for Thorn in the Side Ltd, revealing that the company’s cash position grew from £300,000 on 31 May 2023 to £1.7m on 31 May 2024. The records show that no dividend was paid out during this period, and the cash position further increased to £2m between May 2024 and May 2025. Farage purchased the Surrey home personally, without a mortgage, and not through his media company.
Nimesh Shah, a tax expert at Blick Rothenberg, reviewed the accounts for the Financial Times and concluded that the financial data suggests the reality television money was not used to purchase the house. Farage had previously stated to the BBC that he paid for the property with his fee from the reality show, which aired in late 2023, and that his earnings from the programme were paid to Thorn in the Side Ltd.
The scrutiny comes as Farage is under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner for failing to declare a £5m gift from Christopher Harborne. The gift was made within 12 months of Farage’s election as the MP for Clacton in July 2024. While Farage claims the money was given on an unconditional basis as a reward for his Brexit campaigning, he also stated it was intended to fund his security. Parliamentary rules require benefits to be declared for the 12 months before taking office, with an exemption for personal gifts, though the rules advise registration if there is any doubt.
A Reform UK spokesperson stated that anti-money laundering checks for the property purchase were carried out before the Harborne gift was made, suggesting the gift was not used for the house. The spokesperson noted that Farage has multiple sources of income as listed in his parliamentary register but did not confirm whether Farage still stands by his claim that the reality TV fee funded the purchase. If found to have breached parliamentary rules, Farage could face suspension from the House of Commons and trigger a byelection in his constituency.