Nigel Farage under fire over claims he failed to declare benefits from George Cottrell

► Nigel Farage has “serious questions to answer” a minister has said as the Reform UK leader – already under fire over a £5 million gift - is facing calls for an investigation into financial support given to him by a convicted criminal. The Sunday Times reports that Mr Farage did not declare benefits provided by convicted fraudster, George Cottrell, who it says calls him “Daddy”. The publication says the man known as “Posh George” supplied support, including security and social media staff, who worked on Mr Farage’s online content in the year before he became an MP. Under rules in place at the time, new MPs were required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities. Mr Farage has said he is now considering action against the Times, adding: “It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus.” Early education minister Olivia Bailey said she was shocked at the Clacton MP’s reaction after he claimed he is the victim of an “establishment hit job”, calling it “offensive to the British public”. Lib Dem MP Josh Babarinde has written to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg to say there is a “serious question as to whether Mr Farage met his obligations under the Code of Conduct for MPs”. ► Have you subscribed to 5 News?: http://bit.ly/5NewsSub ► Follow 5 News on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news - https://twitter.com/5_News Message us on Facebook to share your opinion - https://www.facebook.com/c5News See our latest pictures and videos on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/c5news/ ► About 5 News: We bring you the stories that matter to you, from around the world and across the UK. 🎥 We post daily playlists with the biggest news of the day, interviews, special reports and investigations. 📺 Catch us on TV on Channel 5 every weekday 5-6pm 📱 Get in touch with us on WhatsApp at +44 7555 500 501 🎧 Listen to "How Did We Get Here? Explaining The News" wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/how-did-we-get-here-explaining-the-news Our flagship, hour-long programme at 5pm is watched on Channel 5 by up to a million viewers, with regular news updates throughout the day. ITN changed the TV news landscape when it launched 5 News in 1997, producing Five News for nine years before winning the contract to supply news to Channel 5 again from 2012.