The governor of the Bank of England has broken his silence about the pressure Nigel Farage put on him to drop a cryptocurrency policy that could be costly for Reform UK’s billionaire backer, saying he is “able to spot” and resist lobbying.

Andrew Bailey’s comments, in a letter seen by the Guardian, come as Farage’s decision not to disclose a £5m gift from the Thailand-based crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne has triggered the biggest crisis of his political career.

On Tuesday, the Reform UK leader said he would resign as an MP amid a parliamentary standards investigation into the payment from Harborne and another into undeclared support from his supporter, the convicted fraudster George Cottrell.

Denying any wrongdoing, Farage…