Politics
Bank of England governor says he would have delayed Farage meeting if crypto gift had been under investigation
July 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Coverage
Andrew Bailey said he would have considered postponing the September 2025 meeting with Nigel Farage had the Bank known about the £5m gift from a crypto billionaire that later sparked a parliamentary inquiry.
- Bailey said the undisclosed gift from Christopher Harborne would have been a "material fact" in deciding whether to hold the meeting.
- Farage has said he used the meeting to demand the Bank drop plans for a state-issued stablecoin and a cap on individual stablecoin holdings.
- The Bank eventually dropped the cap on individual stablecoin holdings after a consultation, Bailey said.
- Farage has been reported to the standards commissioner over whether he lobbied the Bank against parliamentary rules.
