Tether · Decrypt
Farage Posted to UK Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Crypto Lobbying
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been reported to Parliament's standards watchdog over allegations that he lobbied the Bank of England on cryptocurrency policy in a way that could benefit his biggest donor, a major investor in stablecoin issuer Tether.
Key facts
- The Reform UK leader accepted an undeclared £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from Harborne before standing in the July 2024 general election
- Per the Guardian, he also took two £25,000 political donations from Harborne, in January 2025 and February 2026 for trips to the U.S. and the Chagos Islands, while Reform UK received a further £15
- That donor is Christopher Harborne, a British, Thailand-based billionaire who holds a 12% stake in USDT issuer Tether, and sits sixth on the Sunday Times Rich List
- Phil Brickell, a Labour MP who chairs the parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, has asked the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, to examine Farage’s
Summary
Labour MP Phil Brickell has reported Nigel Farage to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, alleging he lobbied the Bank of England on crypto policy that could benefit his biggest donor. The complaint centers on a private September 2025 meeting in which Farage reportedly urged Governor Andrew Bailey to drop plans for a state-run digital pound. Farage received an undeclared £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from Tether investor Christopher Harborne, who has separately given Reform UK a further £15 million. Phil Brickell, a Labour MP who chairs the parliamentary group on anti-corruption and responsible tax, has asked the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, to examine Farage’s dealings with the central bank.