Farage says he discussed return to politics months before general election

Nigel Farage disclosed to the BBC that he had discussed the potential liabilities of returning to politics before the 2024 general election. This disclosure comes after reports from The Sunday Times that Farage and then-Reform leader Richard Tice had negotiated a deal in March and April 2024 for Farage to return as leader of the party.

Farage clarified that it was not a formal agreement, emphasizing that the talks were to assess the financial implications of his potential return but that the talks had occurred "quite some time after" he received a £5 million gift from a billionaire donor. Labour Party Chair Bridget Phillipson criticized Farage for "blowing a gaping hole" in his argument against declaring the gift, stating that new MPs must register all financial interests and benefits received within a year of their election.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner had been investigating Farage's compliance with the rules, but the process was suspended when he stepped down as MP for Clacton to contest a by-election. Farage's decision to leave frontline politics in 2021 and later return to leadership of Reform in June 2024 has been under scrutiny, particularly regarding the timing of the gift and the discussions with Tice.