Nigel Farage, the high-profile leader of Reform UK and newly elected Member of Parliament for Clacton, has sidestepped a police investigation into allegations that his campaign breached spending limits during the 2024 general election. Essex Police confirmed this week that, due to the statutory time limits set out in law, no inquiry can be opened into the claims, despite mounting pressure from political opponents and a whistleblower from within Farage’s own campaign team.
The controversy began when Richard Everett, a former Reform UK councillor and member of Farage’s campaign, alleged that the party had spent more than the £20,660 legal cap for constituency campaigns. According to BBC News, Everett claimed the campaign failed to declare expenses for leaflets, banners, utility bills, and even the refurbishment of a bar in the Clacton constituency office. He submitted documents to the Metropolitan Police, who then passed the case to Essex Police for assessment.
But the timing of the complaint proved critical. Essex Police stated that the report was made on December 5, 2025, relating to spending that occurred in July 2024. Under the Representation of the People Act 1983, any prosecution for such an offence must be initiated within one year of the alleged breach. A police spokesperson explained, “Having regard to the Representation of the People Act 1983, which states any prosecution for such an offence must commence within one year, it has been concluded that this report falls outside of the stated statutory time limit, and no investigation can take place.”
This legal technicality has effectively closed the door on any police investigation, at least for now. According to The Guardian, the Representation of the People Act’s strict one-year window means that even potentially serious allegations of electoral overspending cannot be pursued if they surface after the deadline. The police confirmed, “It has been concluded that this report falls outside of the stated statutory time limit, and no investigation can take place.”
The allegations themselves are detailed and specific. Everett, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK before leaving the party to become an Independent councillor, claimed that the party’s official returns reported coming just £400 under the spending limit. However, he alleged that the undeclared spending would have pushed the campaign over the legal cap. Despite the seriousness of the claims, Everett noted that he believed Farage himself had been “blissfully unaware” of the overspending.
Reform UK has strongly denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, the party described Everett as a “disgruntled former councillor” who had been expelled months before. A spokesperson for Reform said, “These inaccurate claims come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party denies breaking electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.” The party has also characterized the allegations as a “witch-hunt” and an attempt by political opponents to discredit both Reform UK and Farage personally. “Instead of debating Reform on the substance of our ideas and policies, the leftwing media and deeply unpopular Labour party are now using 50-year-old smears in a last act of desperation. The British public see right through it,” a Reform spokesperson told The Guardian.
While Essex Police have closed their file, the matter has not entirely disappeared from the public eye. The Electoral Commission, which oversees party spending rather than individual campaign spending, was also asked to open a separate inquiry. Labour Party chair Anna Turley wrote to the Commission, urging them to investigate whether spending that should have been declared locally in Clacton was instead included in Reform UK’s national return, or whether some national party expenditure had not been declared at all. “If expenditure that ought to have been declared in Mr Farage’s return in Clacton has been included in Reform’s national spending return, or elements of national party expenditure have not been declared at all, there is a real risk that Reform’s party spending return is inaccurate or incomplete, which is a matter for the Electoral Commission,” Turley wrote in her letter.
After reviewing the matter, the Electoral Commission responded, “We have responded to Anna Turley MP’s correspondence which raised questions about Reform UK’s spending at the 2024 general election. After carefully considering the information presented in the letter, we did not identify any expenditure relating to Mr Farage’s election campaign in Clacton that should have been declared in Reform UK’s national expenditure.” This statement appears to close the door on further regulatory action at the national level, at least based on the evidence currently available.
Sam Power, a political financing expert at the University of Bristol, explained the division of responsibility between the police and the Electoral Commission to The Guardian: “The commission have purview over party spending, not campaign spending. So they would have to be misreporting in these returns. Turley asked them to look at whether party spending had not been declared, and [whether] Clacton spending had been reported as national spending. Given that the main allegations related to potential campaign overspend – a matter for the police – [Turley’s request] was a bit of a square peg in a round hole.”
Labour’s Anna Turley, meanwhile, has continued to call for transparency and accountability. She told The Independent, “Nigel Farage needs to reassure the public that he and his party will co-operate fully with the police and put all the evidence they need on the table. Electoral fraud is a very serious crime which fundamentally undermines our democracy. All parliamentarians, including party leaders, must play by the rules so all candidates have a fair hearing with the public. Nigel Farage needs to break his silence on this issue and demonstrate that he and Reform UK have followed the law at all times. Failure to do so will raise even more questions about what he has to hide.”
Farage’s ascent to the leadership of Reform UK in June 2024, just a month before the general election, and his subsequent victory in Clacton with a majority of over 8,000 votes, have only heightened scrutiny of his actions and those of his party. The episode comes amid a period of turbulence for Reform UK, with Farage also facing unrelated controversies, including accusations of racism dating back to his schooldays and calls for the dismissal of a mayoral candidate over offensive remarks.
Despite the cloud of allegations and the ongoing political debate, the legal and regulatory avenues for pursuing the campaign spending claims appear to be exhausted. For now, Farage and Reform UK stand by their denials and look ahead to their parliamentary future, with the party insisting it has nothing to hide and is eager to move on from what it sees as politically motivated attacks.
The story serves as a reminder of the complexities—and the limitations—of the UK’s electoral law, where even potentially significant breaches can escape investigation if not reported in time. As the dust settles, questions about transparency, accountability, and the robustness of electoral oversight remain at the forefront of the political conversation.
