07/07/2026 22:01 - Internacionales
Published on July 7, 2026 | Source: El Mundo
According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the leading figure of the British populist right and the main intellectual driving force behind Brexit (the UK's historic withdrawal from the European Union), Nigel Farage, would have announced his resignation from Parliament amidst a cascade of financial scandals. His intention would not be to retire from politics, but to run again in the by-election (a special election held to fill a vacant seat) that his departure would trigger, seeking a new popular mandate to refute the accusations against him.
Farage would step down as the Member of Parliament for Clacton, a seaside town of 53,000 inhabitants in the county of Essex, England, where he reportedly won the 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote. This strategy seeks to establish a fracture line between what he calls the elites and the people, in a clear parallel with the rhetoric of his personal ally, former US President Donald Trump.
The main controversy would revolve around a donation of £5 million (approximately €5.9 million) made in early 2024 by crypto-millionaire Christopher Harborne, a resident of Thailand. According to media reports, Farage would have failed to inform Parliament about this income, arguing that it was an unconditional personal gift intended to finance personal security measures due to constant death threats.
The Conservative Party would have referred the case to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, and the UK Electoral Commission would also be investigating the matter. Just a few weeks after receiving the donation, Farage reportedly returned to politics with a program that, among other things, defended the interests of the crypto sector.
The second scandal would involve George Cottrell, a former Farage collaborator and cryptocurrency entrepreneur who was imprisoned in the United States after pleading guilty to fraud. According to the Financial Times, Farage would have received various forms of assistance from Cottrell, including security, travel, hotels, and social media campaign coordination, using these resources both for his personal benefit and for his political enterprises.
His political rivals would have dismissed the resignation as a mere media circus. A spokesperson for Labour politician Andy Burnham stated that Farage would only be seeking to distract attention from the serious accusations. Zach Polanski, leader of the Green Party, called him a fraud funded by crypto-millionaires.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch would have described Farage's attitude as a tantrum, while Rupert Loewe, from the Restore Britain party (which competes for the ultra-nationalist vote and is reportedly backed by Elon Musk), accused him of playing with British institutions.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
