‘Full of Remainers’: Nigel Farage slams Electoral Commission as it looks into Brexit Party funding

Nigel Farage has launched a furious attack on the Electoral Commission, claiming it is “absolutely full of Remainers”.

The Brexit Party leader claimed the watchdog – which visited the party’s headquarters on Tuesday as part of a review into its donations system – was full of establishment figures and not neutral.

Mr Farage said he believed the Brexit Party was “more compliant” than any others putting up candidates in Thursday’s European elections.

The visit comes after former prime minister Gordon Brown called for an investigation into the party’s finances.

The Electoral Commission said it was an “independent and impartial organisation which is accountable to parliament” and that it regulates “regardless of a party’s politics”.

It added the visit was unrelated to Mr Brown’s comments.

Discussing his party’s donation system, Mr Farage said: “I’ve got a team of four qualified accountants looking after our money, our income.

“I bet we’re more compliant than any of the other parties in this election.

“I’ve crossed with the Electoral Commission before – they are not a neutral organisation, absolutely full of Remainers, full of establishment figures.

“We are about not just leaving the European Union, the Brexit Party is about changing politics for good – getting SW1 and Westminster to reflect the country more broadly and the Electoral Commission are part of that huge reform that is needed.”

Mr Farage said the party was searching for repeat donations and had sent back money if it was unsure of its origin.

“I’m not stupid,” he said.

“I’ve set this up to take on the Labour and Conservative parties who, I think, have betrayed the biggest democratic vote in our nation’s history.

“I know that when you do that the establishment will not come out with a tray of gin and tonics and say ‘well done’.

“I understand how it works.

“As I say, I’m not stupid, I’ve set this up properly, I’m entirely confident that we are more compliant than any of the other parties right now.”

An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “As a newly registered party running a national election campaign who have put information into the public domain about the level of their fundraising, it is right and proper for the regulator to be in regular contact with the Brexit Party.

“We have been talking to the party since it registered, discussing the rules and the party’s systems.

“But recently we have seen significant public concern about the way the party raises funds.

“We have not seen evidence of electoral offences, but the law in this area is complex and we want to satisfy ourselves that the party’s systems are robust.

“Our regulatory work during this campaign – for the European Parliamentary elections – has not deviated from our usual approach.

“We are an independent and impartial organisation which is accountable to parliament.

“We regulate as is proportionate to the issue, regardless of a party’s politics.

“Our decision to visit is not related to comments made by the former prime minister.”

Mr Farage also confirmed he was not speaking to Channel 4 News following their recent coverage of him.

The channel reported that insurance tycoon Arron Banks had spent approximately £450,000 on Mr Farage in the year following the EU referendum in 2016.

“I’m not speaking to them now, they are political activists,” Mr Farage said.

“They are supposed to be a public service broadcaster, they’re not behaving in that way.

“We’ve no interest in talking to them whatsoever.”

Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear wrote on Twitter: “We hope to resolve our access ban from Brexit Party events ASAP.

“We were unaware of the 6-week ban until last Thursday when we broadcast this Nigel Farage investigation, revealing he had been bankrolled by £450k from Arron Banks. Until then we had full access, including to Farage.”

(c) Sky News 2019: ‘Full of Remainers’: Nigel Farage slams Electoral Commission as it looks into Brexit Party funding