Scotland Yard is investigating £500,000 in donations made to the Reform UK party by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of a convicted criminal who has close ties to Nigel Farage. Detectives have interviewed two individuals under caution as part of a criminal probe into the funding, which has been ongoing for over a year.
The investigation is examining a section of electoral law that prohibits concealing or providing false information about the source of donations, with potential penalties including fines or up to one year in prison. The donations in question, each amounting to £250,000, were made to Reform UK before the 2024 general election by Ms. Cottrell.
Ms. Cottrell's son, George Cottrell, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur based in Montenegro, has reportedly provided staffing, security, and accommodation for Mr. Farage. Mr. Cottrell, 32, was previously jailed in the United States in 2016 for money laundering offenses. He has been described as an unpaid volunteer for Reform UK, though he has also funded Mr. Farage's trips to the U.S. and Brussels. Mr. Farage has stated that assistance from Mr. Cottrell, including drivers and the use of a London townhouse, did not require declaration to Parliament as it occurred before he became a Member of Parliament.
Fiona Cottrell, 67, is the daughter of the late Rupert Watson, 3rd Baron Manton, and a former model. Reporters approached Ms. Cottrell at her home in rural Worcestershire but she declined to comment. The Reform UK party issued a statement, asserting that the British public is weary of what they describe as establishment media attempts to hinder the party's progress, and that such tactics would not deter them from their electoral goals.
This investigation follows a separate inquiry, which emerged just a day prior, into a donation made to the campaign of Reform MP Robert Jenrick during his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party.