Farage Home Ownership Claims Challenged As Ferrari Funding Scrutinised

Questions continue to swirl around the finances behind the purchase of a £885000 Essex home linked to Nigel Farage and his partner Laure Ferrari. The property a four bedroom residence complete with a heated swimming pool was acquired in November 2024. The home’s deed lists Ms Ferrari as the sole owner with no mortgage registered indicating a cash purchase. Mr Farage previously claimed to have bought the house but later clarified it belongs to Ms Ferrari alone.

Ms Ferrari a French national reportedly moved in with Mr Farage in 2017 seeking somewhere to stay without rent commitments. At the time she had just lost employment with a European think tank and explained that she could not afford to rent in London. Public records reveal that three years prior Ferrari took a job as a waitress to make ends meet following the closure of her clothes shop in Strasbourg. Their relationship began after they met during her time working in a restaurant in Brussels where Mr Farage was based for his role in the European Parliament.

Mr Farage maintains that he did not provide Ms Ferrari with the funds to buy the Essex house nor lend her any money in connection with the purchase. He asserts that Ms Ferrari hails from a successful French family and that the resources used to buy the property solely belonged to her. This version is questioned amidst reports of Ferrari’s family haulage business closing in 2020 with more liabilities than assets. Additionally Ferrari jointly owns shares in a property and a flat with family members valued at £302000 though experts consider it unlikely this would be counted for stamp duty purposes given the company ownership structure.

Had Mr Farage funded the acquisition himself he would have incurred a £44250 surcharge in stamp duty as the property represents a second home. He retains ownership of a £1 million property in Sevenoaks Kent from a previous marriage. Tax policy experts note that lending money to a partner for such purchases could be considered tax avoidance although there is currently no evidence Mr Farage provided any such loan.

Farage emphasises that he sought legal advice from a leading tax counsel and was assured that all regulations and taxes related to the transaction were observed. A spokesperson confirmed that Laure Ferrari is the sole legal and beneficial owner and that the purchase was entirely above board with all necessary taxes duly settled.

The matter is attracting heightened scrutiny given Mr Farage’s high public profile and vocal positions on issues ranging from tax to property law. For observers the episode throws a spotlight on the complexities surrounding property ownership financing and tax for politicians and those close to them.