Commons authorities respond to claim Nigel Farage broke donations rules

Exclusive:

The Standards Commissioner “carefully considered” a complaint from Lib Dem Daisy Cooper and has decided whether to go ahead with an investigation

Nigel Farage will not face an investigation by the Standards Commissioner, over claims he broke Commons rules regarding donations.

The Mirror understands the Commissioner has “carefully considered” a complaint against the Reform UK leader, and decided there is not sufficient evidence of a breach of the rules.

The Reform UK leader was accused of a potential breach of the MPs’ code of conduct, after he made comments about fundraising for the party – of which he is the largest shareholder.

Daisy Cooper, the Deputy Lib Dem wrote to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, taking issue with Mr Farage apparently promoting plans to raise funds to pay for their own so-called “independent inquiry” into grooming gangs.

“If the Government will not hold it,” Mr Farage said in the Commons, “we will raise the money at Reform UK and appoint independent arbiters, because we need the truth to be out there.”

Ms Cooper argued this amounted to “promoting” a “fundraising appeal for his party’s coffers.”

Despite Mr Farage’s claim to have democratised and professionalised the arty, Reform UK is still set up as a limited company – with Mr Farage the largest shareholder.

She wrote in the letter: “It is clearly not possible for a political party to hold an inquiry of this sort given that only the government can establish an inquiry with the powers to compel witnesses to give evidence under oath.

“Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of holding a government-backed inquiry of this sort, it seems that Mr Farage was instead promoting what would in effect be a fundraising appeal for his party’s coffers.”

At the time, a spokesman for Mr Farage said: “The Lib Dems care more about political point scoring than having an inquiry into the mass rape gang scandal”

“They should get their priorities straight.”

It’s understood the Commissioner replied to Ms Cooper, saying there was nothing in her letter that provided sufficient evidence of a breach of the rules, and as a result, would not be pursuing the matter any further.