Police will assess claims Reform overspent on Nigel Farage’s election campaign
Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Essex Police are assessing allegations that Reform UK overspent on Nigel Farage’s general election campaign last year,
Richard Everett, a former member of Farage’s campaign team, said he believed Reform UK exceeded the £20,660 spending limit set by electoral law in the Essex constituency of Clacton and failed to declare some costs.
The former councillor, who the party said was expelled several months ago, added that Mr Farage was “blissfully unaware” of the omissions.
A Reform spokesman denied the party had broken electoral law, saying the “inaccurate claims come from a disgruntled former councillor”.
In a statement, 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.”
In claims first reported by the Telegraph, Mr Everett alleged that Reform failed to declare spending on some leaflets, banners, utility bills and the refurbishment of a bar in the constituency office.
He submitted documents to the Metropolitan Police and the case has now been transferred to Essex Police, which confirmed it was assessing the allegations.
According to the newspaper, the documents show Reform came within £400 of the legal spending limit for the constituency but Mr Everett claims that figure excludes some costs and he believes the party overspent by around £9,000.
Mr Farage took over as leader of Reform UK in June 2024, around a month before the general election.
He won the seat of Clacton in Essex from the Conservatives with a majority of more than 8,000.
