Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, has defended the acceptance of a £1 million donation from Fiona Cottrell, the mother of convicted fraudster and Nigel Farage ally George Cottrell. The donation is currently under a criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
Tice stated that Mrs. Cottrell is a 'permissible donor' and asserted that the source of the party's funds is being subjected to a 'politically motivated smear'. The funds in question were given to Britain Means Business, a Reform fundraising vehicle of which Tice is a director, before a portion was transferred to the party itself. The transaction is among those flagged by banks to the National Crime Agency (NCA) through suspicious activity reports.
The Metropolitan Police initiated an inquiry in February 2025 following a referral from the Electoral Commission concerning donations made to a political party before the 2024 UK general election. According to the police, two individuals have been interviewed under caution, and initial investigative advice has been sought from the Crown Prosecution Service, though no arrests have been made.
Tice told Times Radio that he has known the Cottrell and broader Hesketh families for 50 years, describing them as a 'very successful aristocratic family'. He indicated that he was unaware of the police probe until recently, suggesting its timing, coinciding with information leaks from the NCA, was a deliberate tactic.
Separately, Nigel Farage is under investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg regarding his failure to declare a £5 million gift upon becoming an MP in 2024. He is also being investigated for financial and other assistance received from George Cottrell. An investigation into Farage's financial matters was suspended upon his resignation but may resume if he wins the upcoming by-election in his Clacton seat. A significant suspension following a rule breach could trigger a recall petition.
Farage has characterized the scrutiny as an 'anti-Trump playbook' and accused other parties of colluding to boycott the Clacton by-election, which is scheduled for August 13. He has called for a general election, criticizing the current political landscape as a 'game of musical chairs'. Farage also criticized Parliament's Standards Committee as 'completely subjective'.