Fact Check: “My personal MP expenses are zero”
Verdict: ❌ False
What’s being claimed?
During his statement announcing his resignation as MP for Clacton on 7 July 2026, Nigel Farage said:
“For the first two years of being an MP, my personal MP expenses are zero.”
The claim gives the impression that no parliamentary expenses have been claimed during his time as an MP.
The facts
Public records published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which administers MPs’ business costs and expenses, show that expenses have been claimed during Nigel Farage’s time as MP.
Available IPSA records include claims for constituency office costs, stationery, printing and other parliamentary business expenses. These are legitimate categories of expenditure available to MPs carrying out their parliamentary duties.
Following criticism of the statement, Reform UK clarified that Farage was referring specifically to his own travel and accommodation costs, rather than all parliamentary expenses.
That clarification significantly narrows the original claim but is not what was said during the public statement.
Analysis
The wording used by Farage was broad:
“My personal MP expenses are zero.”
Most readers would reasonably understand this to mean that no expenses had been claimed.
However, IPSA’s published records show parliamentary expense claims have been made during his time as MP.
While it may be accurate that he has not claimed for his own travel or accommodation, other parliamentary expenses have been claimed and reimbursed through the normal IPSA system.
The later clarification changes the meaning of the original statement rather than supporting it.
Conclusion
Nigel Farage’s statement that his “personal MP expenses are zero” is False as presented.
Although Reform UK later clarified that he was referring only to his own travel and accommodation expenses, the statement made publicly was much broader and would reasonably be interpreted as meaning that no expenses had been claimed.
Official IPSA records show parliamentary expenses have been claimed during his time as an MP.
Verdict: ❌ False