Labour leader Keir Starmer has intensified scrutiny on Nigel Farage over a £5 million personal donation from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. The gift, disclosed for the first time in recent weeks, was given to Farage in the months leading up to his candidacy in the 2024 general election and is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer challenged Farage to stop “dodging questions” about the sizeable donation, which remains unexplained. He questioned why Farage had initially kept the donation secret and sought clarity on its purpose. Farage’s explanations have shifted: initially claiming the money was intended to cover lifetime personal security costs, he later described it as a reward for his Brexit campaigning. He has maintained that because he was not yet an MP when he received the funds, he was not required to declare the donation. The standards commissioner is assessing whether the gift should have been reported, given that donations relevant to an MP’s political activities must be declared retrospectively up to a year before taking office.

Starmer’s remarks came in response to a question from Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, who pressed the prime minister on proposals to cap political donations. The discussion comes amid growing concern over Reform UK’s significant funding from Harborne, who has donated over £12 million to the party in the past year alone. Another crypto entrepreneur, Ben Delo, has also contributed £4 million, with figures expected to be officially confirmed by the Electoral Commission. While the government stopped short of endorsing a ban on large donations, Starmer affirmed the administration’s commitment to protecting democracy from foreign interference and illicit funds. The government has implemented a moratorium on crypto-related political donations and placed limits on overseas contributions, measures that could restrict Harborne’s ability to make further donations unless he relocates to the UK. Delo is reportedly planning to return from Hong Kong to continue supporting Reform UK.

Farage has faced mounting pressure amid media scrutiny and fewer public appearances. Reports revealed that he purchased a £1.4 million detached property in Surrey shortly after receiving the donation, although he insisted the offer had been made prior to the gift.

Separately, ministers encountered cross-party criticism over the partial release of documents related to Peter Mandelson’s contentious appointment as ambassador to Washington. Despite the publication of roughly 1,500 pages of materials, key documents were withheld at the Metropolitan Police’s request, purportedly to avoid prejudicing an ongoing investigation. Among the withheld files is a vetting summary that reportedly raised serious security concerns about Mandelson’s connections to high-profile figures, including China’s finance minister Lan Fo’an, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, and former Israeli military intelligence officer Tamir Hayman.

Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed frustration over the absence of documents detailing security measures taken to mitigate flagged risks. Thornberry noted that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) security chief Ian Collard had reviewed the vetting file following Mandelson’s withdrawal and reportedly did not inform Downing Street of the recommendation to deny security clearance. Thornberry suggested the prime minister effectively delegated responsibility for the appointment inappropriately, allowing decisions to be mishandled.

MPs also highlighted the omission of Mandelson’s declaration of interest form, as well as multimedia files and communications exchanged between officials, all withheld by the police. The gaps in the released records have fueled calls for greater transparency regarding the vetting and appointment process, intensifying parliamentary demands for accountability.