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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Nigel Farage: Party funding claims 'a disgusting smear' | Nigel Farage: Party funding claims 'a disgusting smear' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has accused Gordon Brown of "a disgusting smear" in a row over party funding. | Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has accused Gordon Brown of "a disgusting smear" in a row over party funding. |
| The ex-PM accused The Brexit Party - which is riding high in polls ahead of the European elections - of receiving a large amount of money via small "undeclared, untraceable payments". | |
| The ex-prime minister has asked the Electoral Commission to investigate. | The ex-prime minister has asked the Electoral Commission to investigate. |
| The commission said it would go to The Brexit Party's office on Tuesday "to review the systems in place". | |
| "If there's evidence that the law may have been broken, we will consider that in line with our enforcement policy," a spokesperson said. | |
| 'Roubles or dollars' | |
| Under the rules governing donations, amounts below £500 do not have to be declared. | |
| An official donation of £500 or more must be given by a "permissible donor", who should either be somebody listed on the UK electoral roll or a business registered at Companies House and operating in the UK. | |
| Mr Brown said there was no way of telling whether donations to The Brexit Party - which can be made through PayPal - come from British or foreign sources. | Mr Brown said there was no way of telling whether donations to The Brexit Party - which can be made through PayPal - come from British or foreign sources. |
| "You can pay to this party in Russian roubles or American dollars," he said. | "You can pay to this party in Russian roubles or American dollars," he said. |
| "Democracy is ill served, and trust in democracy will continue to be undermined, if we have no answers as to where the money is coming from," he added. | "Democracy is ill served, and trust in democracy will continue to be undermined, if we have no answers as to where the money is coming from," he added. |
| Pro-EU Labour MP Chris Bryant has also raised concerns, arguing: "It would be simple for a foreign power or individual to fund [The Brexit Party] by paying hundreds or thousands of £499 in sterling or other currencies as the party does not even verify names." | Pro-EU Labour MP Chris Bryant has also raised concerns, arguing: "It would be simple for a foreign power or individual to fund [The Brexit Party] by paying hundreds or thousands of £499 in sterling or other currencies as the party does not even verify names." |
| Responding to the Mr Brown's comments, Mr Farage said: "Most of our money has been raised by people giving £25 to become registered supporters." | Responding to the Mr Brown's comments, Mr Farage said: "Most of our money has been raised by people giving £25 to become registered supporters." |
| "And over 110,000 of them now have done that. And frankly, this smacks of jealousy because the other parties simply can't do this." | "And over 110,000 of them now have done that. And frankly, this smacks of jealousy because the other parties simply can't do this." |
| 'Conflict of interest' | 'Conflict of interest' |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice said: "We've got a PayPal account for people paying less than £500; above that we apply the appropriate Electoral Commission rules." | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice said: "We've got a PayPal account for people paying less than £500; above that we apply the appropriate Electoral Commission rules." |
| Asked if he could confirm whether the party takes cash from foreign citizens, Mr Tice said: "I don't sit in front of the PayPal account all day so I don't know what currencies people are paying in, but, as I understand it, the PayPal takes it in sterling." | Asked if he could confirm whether the party takes cash from foreign citizens, Mr Tice said: "I don't sit in front of the PayPal account all day so I don't know what currencies people are paying in, but, as I understand it, the PayPal takes it in sterling." |
| In 2013 the Electoral Commission issued guidance to parties that "if a donor makes regular payments for an unspecified donation and towards an unspecified total amount, our view is that these payments should be treated as separate donations." | In 2013 the Electoral Commission issued guidance to parties that "if a donor makes regular payments for an unspecified donation and towards an unspecified total amount, our view is that these payments should be treated as separate donations." |
| During his speech, Gordon Brown also attacked Nigel Farage for receiving £450,000 from Leave campaigner Aaron Banks while still a member of the European Parliament. | During his speech, Gordon Brown also attacked Nigel Farage for receiving £450,000 from Leave campaigner Aaron Banks while still a member of the European Parliament. |
| Mr Brown said The Brexit Party leader should have declared the payments he was receiving "to avoid a conflict of interest". | Mr Brown said The Brexit Party leader should have declared the payments he was receiving "to avoid a conflict of interest". |
| However, Mr Farage has said he did not declare it to the European Parliament because he was about to leave politics and had been seeking a new life in the US. | However, Mr Farage has said he did not declare it to the European Parliament because he was about to leave politics and had been seeking a new life in the US. |
| Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder has written to the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani calling for an investigation into the matter. | Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder has written to the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani calling for an investigation into the matter. |