A senior Reform UK official declined to urge party leader Nigel Farage to share evidence with British security services regarding his assertion of a Russian hack. Farage faces growing calls to back his statement that a state-linked Russian intrusion led to the Guardian publishing details last month of a £5 million donation from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Both Labour and the Conservatives have highlighted risks from Russian state activity. On Monday, Reform’s head of government preparations, Danny Kruger, said he lacked full information on the hacking allegation. When questioned on whether Farage had contacted authorities, Kruger told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he did not know and could not comment. Pressed on whether evidence should be passed on, he replied that he was not the right person to discuss investigation details. Kruger described the issue as private yet acknowledged some form of inquiry was needed. A Reform source told the Mail on Sunday that Farage had hired counter-espionage specialists who found his phone was likely compromised by Russian agents, though no proof or names were given. Farage’s office has not answered Guardian questions about reporting the alleged hack or providing evidence. A Guardian spokesperson called the claim an effort to divert attention from scrutiny of his finances and said it was unreasonable to blame the disclosure on a Russian hack. Kruger also defended Reform’s Makerfield byelection candidate Robert Kenyon amid questions over past online remarks. The party presents Kenyon as a local figure challenging career politicians. Archived posts show he made inappropriate comments about women, questioned vaccine effectiveness and engaged with far-right accounts on a deleted profile. Kruger said many treat social media as private and would not judge such remarks, though he noted they were unsuitable for an elected representative.
