A petition calling for Nigel Farage to release his tax returns has been signed by more than 50,000 voters after the Reform leader branded the move ‘an intrusion too far’
More than 50,000 people have signed a call demanding Nigel Farage releases his tax returns.
The Reform UK leader has branded the move – which Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves and Sir Ed Davey have previously undertaken – “an intrusion too far”. Mr Farage bristled as he faced questions over his tax affairs amid calls for him to share information about his vast outside earnings.
The online petition states: “We believe that anyone running for the position of British Prime Minister should adhere to the highest standards of transparency, particularly regarding their finances.”
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At the weekend he told the BBC ‘s Laura Kuenssberg that he was “not inclined” to release the information. The petition, created by voter Ben Test, goes on: “Mr Farage told the BBC he would not release his tax return. Why?”
It continues: “Transparency is not just a nice-to-have in political figures; it is essential to maintaining public trust. At this important time, it is of paramount importance that the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, be forthcoming about his financial dealings by releasing his tax returns for public scrutiny.”
At 10am on Thursday it had been signed by nearly 53,000 people. During an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Farage hit back at the suggestion his tax affairs are “not exactly straightforward”.
He said: “ I take objection to the very premise of that question.” Ms Kuenssberg also pointed out that the wannabe PM has a separate company for his earnings outside of being an MP. Parliamentary records show payments for hosting a show on GB News are made to the company he owns, potentially reducing the amount of tax he pays.
Mr Farage has declared more than £800,000 on top of his MPs’ salary since being elected to Parliament.
But when asked if he would release his tax return he said it is “not necessary”. Mr Farage said he was “not inclined” to do so, branding it an “intrusion too far”.
He faces calls to come clean and show if he is on the side of working Brits. It comes after he was confronted over whether he had avoided more than £40,000 of stamp duty.
Despite saying he’d bought a home in his Clacton constituency, it later emerged the four-bedroom house with a pool was actually owned by his girlfriend. If Mr Farage had bought the home, the Mirror revealed, he would have been eligible for a £75,000 levy in stamp duty as it would not be his only home – but Laure Ferrari paid an estimated £44,000 less as it is the only home she owns.
Mr Farage said he was wrong to have said he bought the home himself during media interviews earlier this year. Parliamentary records show payments for hosting a show on GB News are made to the company he owns, potentially reducing the amount of tax he pays.
And he has previously admitted an “error” in setting up a trust fund on the Isle of Man to reduce his family’s inheritance bill. Asked if Mr Farage should publish his tax returns, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak told the Mirror: “Absolutely I think he should.
“Here’s my challenge to Nigel Farage – whether its speaking fees for engagements at right wing think tanks in the States, or TV appearances or anything else – you publish yours, I’ll publish mine.”
He added: “Let’s see Nigel’s tax returns and we’ll see who is on the side of working people.” On Friday Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stepped down after admitting an error meant she underpaid stamp duty by around £40,000 when she bought a flat in Hove, Sussex.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham told the Mirror of Mr Farage’s refusal: “I think it’s rich – rich in lots of ways. It’s absolutely unbelievable that he said that because yesterday at his own conference, he was slamming the issue around Angela Rayner.
“So therefore, the question being, why not? All the previous Prime Ministers have. He’s saying that if he was a prime minister, he wouldn’t. Why not? Why wouldn’t he?”
She added: “He likes to portray himself as the honest broker, you know, the straight talker. Well, this is part of that, isn’t it? Everybody else has done it, why wouldn’t you.”
The Mirror has contacted Reform UK for comment.
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