Police assessing allegations of Reform UK overspend in Farage election campaign

Essex Police has confirmed they are assessing allegations that Reform UK overspent on Nigel Farage’s general election campaign last year in Clacton.

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

In a statement released on Monday, 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.”

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

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

According to the Daily Telegraph, Mr 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.

But he also said he thought Mr Farage himself had been “blissfully unaware”.

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 Mr Everett’s claims.

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

Mr 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.”

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