Nigel Farage heads crypto‑backed CPAC GB conference after resignation

Nigel Farage resigned as the Reform UK MP for Clacton amid a parliamentary standards investigation into an undeclared £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. His resignation triggers a by‑election in the constituency.

One week after stepping down, Farage will deliver the keynote at the inaugural CPAC Great Britain conference, to be held at London’s InterContinental O2 hotel. The event, organised by former prime minister Liz Truss, has announced a strategic partnership with the Bitcoin Collective, the leading UK voice for Bitcoin adoption. The partnership will allow the Bitcoin Collective to host panels promoting lighter regulation and wider adoption of crypto.

The conference is expected to feature a lineup of right‑wing personalities, including Jacob Rees‑Mogg, Toby Young and US political commentator Jack Posobiec. Critics note that Reform UK has received significant crypto funding – Harborne has donated £25.2 million to the party since 2019, and BitMEX co‑founder Ben Delo gave £4 million in the first quarter of 2024 – raising concerns about the influence of crypto lobbyists on UK politics. Earlier this year the government imposed a temporary ban on crypto donations to political parties.