Nigel Farage has spoken out on a Reform MP resigning the party whip as he faces questions over Covid loans. James McMurdock, who represents South Basildon and East Thurrock, “removed the party whip from himself” pending the outcome of an investigation relating to allegations around “business propriety during the pandemic”.

Speaking during a visit to Kent County Council in Maidstone this morning, the Reform UK leader said: “Let’s find out the truth, I know as much about this right now as you do.” Mr Farage added that he “can’t apologise” for the Reform candidate vetting processes for the 2024 general election because he was not involved in it.

He said: “I came in, I inherited this situation where hundreds of candidates who stood in the last general election had not gone through a vetting process.

“I said on July 5, the day after the election last year, that we would now professionalise.

“We put 1,630 candidates into the field on May 1, more than any other party with very, very few rows or arguments – so the vetting process worked for this year, I can’t apologise for what happened before.”

Mr Farage said: “Behaving with integrity is a responsibility upon all of you, although that doesn’t mean you all have to become stuffed shirts or anything like that.

“You are holders of public office you are responsible and how we behave matters.”

Later, he told the PA news agency: “Yes I think, I think that when you become elected at any level you have a responsibility,

“I’m not asking for stuffed shirts, I’m not asking for boring people. I’m just saying think, think to all of these people here who were basically in ‘civvy street’ in political terms before May 1, just think before you act.”