Nigel Farage – live: Reform UK leader to break cover after weeks of pressure over finances

Nigel Farage – live: Reform UK leader to break cover after weeks of pressure over finances Nigel Farage will break cover to hold a press conference at 11am today - it will be the first one in London held by the Reform UK leader for months, and comes amid ongoing questions about his finances Under-pressure Nigel Farage will break cover to hold a press conference at 11am today. It will be the first London press conference held by the Reform UK leader for months. Mr Farage has been laying low since he last month dramatically quit as the MP for Clacton to trigger a by-election in the area. This time last year, Reform UK was holding weekly press conferences over the summer. But in recent months, as pressure grows over Mr Farage's finances, the party has scurried away from scrutiny. A standards investigation into Mr Farage's failure to declare a £5million gift from Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne has been paused since he quit as an MP. It will be restarted if he is re-elected as an MP in next week's Clacton by-election. Follow live updates below... Tom Sharpe, a former commander of the Royal Navy, has brutally taken down Reform's small boats plan, saying the vital arm of the UK's military is "not best used ferrying people around". Police are reportedly investigating donations totalling £500,000 made to Reform UK by the mum of a convicted fraudster, it emerged last month. Detectives are understood to be probing two payments of £250,000 by Fiona Cottrell, whose son George is a key ally of Nigel Farage. It is reported that investigators are looking at whether the true source of the money was concealed and if the sum came from an impermissible donor. This could include people who are not registered to vote in the UK and companies based overseas. Political parties are legally obliged not to accept money from such sources. Data from the Electoral Commission shows Mrs Cottrell, 67, made two £250,000 donations to Reform UK ahead of the general election. These were registered on May 9 and 29 2024. They were the first political donations made in her name, and last year she donated a further £250,000. Nigel Farage has in recent months faced increasing pressure over his personal finances - as well as how Reform UK is funded. The Reform UK leader has faced questions over a £5million gift he received and failed to declare from Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne has been paused since he quit as an MP. A standards probe into the gift was launched in May into whether he broke broke Parliamentary rules requiring new MPs to declare any potentially relevant gifts or donations received in the 12 months before they enter the Commons. It will be restarted if he is re-elected as an MP in next week's Clacton by-election. Mr Farage had insisted the cash was to pay for his security. However, in interviews since, the rattled Reform leader said it was not the public's business how he spends the £5million and that he was free to splash it on Ferraris or betting on horseracing if he wanted. He triggered a by-election in Clacton after facing mounting pressure over the gift, claiming that it was up to his constituents to judge him. None of the other major parties are standing candidates in the race as they dismissed it as a "gimmick" and a "stunt". Nigel Farage will break cover to hold a press conference at 11am today. It will be the first London press conference from the Reform UK leader for months. Mr Farage has been laying low since he last month dramatically quit as the MP for Clacton to trigger a by-election in the area. This time last year, Reform UK was holding weekly press conferences over the summer. But in recent months, as pressure grows over Mr Farage's finances, the party has scurried away from scrutiny. Read our piece here on all the scandals that led to the bombshell by-election announcement.