Malcolm Offord squirms in fiery BBC interview over Nigel Farage's donations scandal

MALCOLM Offord has suggested he would have declared the £5 million gift that has engulfed Nigel Farage in a donation scandal during a fiery BBC radio appearance in which he floundered to defend the Reform leader. Farage called an emergency press conference on Tuesday to announce he would quit as the MP for Clacton and contest the by-election in a bid to clear his name after he’s faced days of scrutiny over his personal finances. A £5m undeclared gift from the Thailand-based billionaire Christopher Harborne has been at the centre of Farage’s donations scandal and is being investigated by the standards commissioner over whether the Reform leader’s failure to declare the money breached parliamentary rules. Farage has claimed that he received the money before he announced he would stand in the 2024 General Election, which meant it was not taxed or declared to the parliamentary authorities, as it did not count as a political donation. READ MORE: Nigel Farage's £5m gift reported to UK crime agency over money laundering fears He also claimed it had no bearing on his decision to stand in the 2024 General Election. However, it has since emerged that Farage said he was not in politics at the time when he received the money, which his lawyers claim was on April 5, there have been reports that financial industry sources said he received at least some of the £5m after he had announced on May 23 2024 that he was not going to stand for parliament. It has since raised questions over the money’s influence on Farage’s decision to stand in the 2024 General Election. Offord appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast show on Tuesday, where he was grilled over his support for Farage and was asked several times if he believed the Reform leader broke parliamentary rules. The fiery exchange started after Martin Geissler asked Offord why Farage doesn't wait for the parliamentary standards investigation to be completed before calling a by-election. To which Offord replied: “The fact you said that the parliamentary committee has already made judgement. “They shouldn’t be making this judgement.” The BBC host then hit back: “They're investigating. They haven't made judgement. There's an investigation underway.” The Reform leader in Scotland then said: “He's done nothing wrong, and the issue here is…” At which point Geissler cut him off and asked: “How do you know? It hasn't been investigated yet.” To which Offord replied: “Because we know by what's happened, and the money's received, and the timeline of it, and the fact that it's unconditional, there's nothing to fear here, the reality is …” At which point both Offord and Geissler clash, talking over each other about the investigation. READ MORE: We’re meant to believe the real victim the man receiving a £5 million gift Geissler then put to Offord that the parliamentary rules state that if an individual has received a gift in the 12 months before an election they must declare it. He said bluntly: “He’s broken the rules, hasn't he?” Offord replied: “Well, this was a private gift given to him. He wasn't an MP, he wasn't even thinking of standing to be an MP. He was out of office, and he was, he was given that on an unconditional basis, and that is for him to work out how well he declares it, but he's very clear. “Listen, he was given it in a truly unconditional basis, and so, he then changed his mind, he then moved back into the political world, and when he's back in the political world he will abide by the rules” Geissler replied in a frustrated tone: “But he’s not.” Adding: “He should have declared it, because it was given to him within 12 months of him being elected. He's hidden this.” Offord replied: “No, I think he's very clear that there was a private gift, and we're…” The pair get into another heated exchange, talking over each other again, where Offord then goes on to claim there were “no political conditions” attached to the money. Later in the exchange, Geissler then bluntly asks Offord: “Would you have declared a five million pound gift from a crypto billionaire?” To which the Reform MSP replied: “Well, whatever, uh, line I've been in, you've seen me operate. I’m new to politics. I have been very transparent. Some people might say I've been too transparent. “I've be pretty clear about who I am or what I am. And in this country, we need to have a conversation about whether we want successful people, wealthy people, in our politics. “Britain needs to be turned around, and it needs successful people, it needs business people, and it needs to have wealth creators. And right now, there's a narrative that if anyone's made any money, they're a bad person, and this is really bad for Britain.” Geissler challenged Offord, stating that Farage didn’t “make money” but instead received money as a gift. READ MORE: See the full 2024 Clacton result as Nigel Farage forces a by-election The BBC host asked Offord again if he had received a £5m gift, from whatever source, within 12 months of being elected to Parliament, he would have declared it. Offord replied: “I would have spoken to, I would take advice on the point from the people who know best, and I will always declare what I'm required to declare. “I don't know the full circumstances. I am not privy to the personal and full circumstances of that gift. That is his personal decision. I know what I would do is, I will always stay within the rules, and I think transparency is a good thing.”