Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, is currently under investigation by Parliament's standards watchdog for an alleged failure to declare an interest. Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has initiated an inquiry into whether Tice breached the MPs' code of conduct.
The code requires Members of Parliament to be "open and frank" in declaring "any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees," as well as in communications with public officials. The investigation reportedly stems from a complaint lodged by an "anti-Israel lobby group," according to Tice.
While Tice did not name the group, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating that the complaint was about whether he should have referenced his register of interests at the start of a debate concerning "UK democracy and Israeli influence." Parliamentary records indicate Tice spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on June 22 regarding an online petition on "pro-Israel influence on UK politics and democracy."
During that debate, Tice did not disclose a trip to Israel in September of the previous year, where he held meetings with the country's president and foreign minister. This trip, valued at an estimated £6,250, was funded by Reform Friends of Israel, as noted in Tice's register of interests. Reform sources confirmed that while Tice registered the trip with Commons officials at the time, he did not declare it during the Westminster Hall debate.
This investigation into Tice follows a separate inquiry opened into Reform leader Nigel Farage's receipt of a £5 million gift from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne before his election. That inquiry was suspended after Farage resigned his Clacton seat to contest a by-election, but it is expected to resume if he returns to Parliament.
Political opponents have commented on the ongoing scrutiny of Reform UK figures. A Labour party spokesman stated that the party "think the rules don't apply to them" and that "The Reform sleaze scandals continue to pile up." The Liberal Democrats echoed calls for transparency, with deputy leader Daisy Cooper remarking that voters deserve "answers and transparency" rather than "sleaze and scandal."