Nigel Farage's latest register of interests has sparked fresh concerns over his close ties with Direct Bullion, a gold marketing company, after he disclosed receiving £270,000 from them. The payment, recorded in Parliament's register of interests on Tuesday, is the Reform UK leader's largest single payment since becoming an MP and more than doubles the fee received from the same company last year.
Mr Farage's role as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion has been widely scrutinised, with critics accusing him of using his public profile to promote the company's interests. In this capacity, he advocates for individuals to invest in physical gold, particularly for their pension pots. The recent payment, which corresponds to an estimated hourly rate of £22,500, adds to previous declarations, including £91,200 for four hours of work and £135,000 for 12 hours over three months last year.
The Labour Party has been quick to condemn the payment, with Anna Turley, the party's Chair, stating: "He pretends to be on the side of ordinary working people but in truth he’s just in it for himself and will sell his time to the highest bidder. He should be focused on putting more pounds back in his Clacton constituents’ pockets rather than racking up payments off the back of gold sales."
This latest development comes as Mr Farage faces ongoing pressure over a separate, substantial gift of £5 million from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based crypto investor with significant connections to Reform UK. The Reform UK leader has maintained that this payment was a gift and therefore exempt from parliamentary rules requiring MPs to declare potential interests.
Mr Farage's register of interests also reveals additional declared income, including £18,402 for presenting on GB News in June and speaking engagements for Imperial Independent Media, a US-based consulting firm. Social media work for Google and X is also listed, with other Reform MPs having registered similar activities for the latter.
The implications of these payments for UK citizens centre on transparency and potential influence over public figures endorsing financial products, particularly those promoting pension investments to vulnerable individuals.