Bank of England rejects Farage’s CBDC lobbying

The Bank of England confirmed Nigel Farage’s lobbying did not affect its digital pound policy, maintaining independence despite scrutiny over Farage’s crypto-linked donors.

The Bank of England has clarified that lobbying by Nigel Farage did not influence its policy on developing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), known as the digital pound. Governor Andrew Bailey stressed the Bank’s ability to identify and resist lobbying, maintaining policy independence. This assurance follows a private meeting in September 2025 between Bailey and Farage, where topics such as crypto regulation and the digital pound were discussed. Despite Farage urging the Bank to abandon its CBDC plans, officials confirmed that his intervention led to no policy changes. The issue has drawn attention due to Farage’s connections to crypto-linked donors, including a reported £5 million donation from Christopher Harborne, and ongoing investigations into party funding. The Bank reiterated that its work on the digital pound continues independently, unaffected by political or external pressures.