Police assess claim Farage broke electoral law during Clacton election campaign

Police are assessing claims Nigel Farage broke electoral law by breaching spending rules during his election campaign in Clacton.

Farage’s campaign has been accused of falsely reporting his election expenses during his successful bid to become an MP last year.

Richard Everett, a former Reform UK councillor and member of Farage’s campaign team, is said to have submitted documents to the Metropolitan Police showing the party spent more than the £20,660 limit in the Essex constituency.

Richard Everett (far left) with Nigel Farage and other councillors who had defected to Reform in June last year. / Credit: Facebook/Nigel Farage

According to the Daily Telegraph, Everett claims Reform failed to declare spending on leaflets, banners, utility bills, and the refurbishment of a bar in its Clacton campaign office.

He alleges that the party’s official returns report that it came just £400 under the spending limit set by electoral law, and the undeclared spending would have put it above the cap.

Everett also claims the party failed to declare the loan of an armoured Land Rover as a donation. But he also said he thought Farage himself had been “blissfully unaware”.

Reform has strongly denied breaking the law on election spending, and accused Everett of being a “disgruntled former councillor” who was expelled from the party “several months ago”.

But both Labour and the Conservatives said the Reform leader had questions to answer over the allegations.

Labour Party Chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage needs to urgently answer serious questions about whether he broke the law and misled the public when standing for election to Parliament.

“Our parliamentary democracy relies on people playing by the rules so all candidates have a fair hearing with the public.

“Nigel Farage must come clean and put all the evidence on the table to prove he hasn’t undermined our democracy by breaking the rules. Failure to do so will raise even more questions about what he has to hide.”

Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake called on the police and the Electoral Commission to investigate Everett’s claims.

He said: “We all have an obligation to play by the rules to ensure that our elections are free and fair.”

Everett, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform last year, has since left the party and now sits as an Independent councillor.

A Reform spokesman said: “These inaccurate claims come from a disgruntled former councillor.

The party was disgusted by his inappropriate sexual behaviour with women and he was expelled several months ago.

“The party denies breaking electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”

Everett denies the claims about inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Farage himself has not yet commented publicly on the allegations.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police 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.

“This matter has been transferred to Essex Police due to the location of the alleged offences.”

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.”