Nigel Farage’s Reform is braced for a negative report from the standards commissioner over his failure to declare a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and plans to appeal against any adverse findings.

The party is on tenterhooks over the report, with multiple Reform insiders saying they are readying for a fightback through the appeals process and fully expect the initial verdict to find against their leader.

Any attempt by Farage to oppose a negative verdict could mean the process drags on for months, as an MP under investigation has the right to present further evidence to the standards committee as well as to appeal through the independent expert panel.

After any appeals process, and if parliament agrees with a penalty of more than 10 days of suspension from the House of Commons, Farage could end up facing a second byelection in his Clacton constituency.…