Key facts
- The Metropolitan Police are investigating donations made to Reform UK by Britain Means Business, a company controlled by deputy leader Richard Tice.
- Britain Means Business received £1 million from Fiona Cottrell and subsequently donated £500,000 to Reform UK.
- The investigation concerns alleged offences under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
- The Electoral Commission referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police, who launched their investigation in February 2025.
- Two individuals have been interviewed under caution as part of the investigation.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating payments made to the political party Reform UK by a company controlled by its deputy leader, Richard Tice. The company, Britain Means Business, received £1 million from significant Reform UK donor Fiona Cottrell in June 2024 and subsequently donated £500,000 to the party. These transactions occurred in the weeks leading up to the 2024 general election.
The investigation, launched in February 2025 following a referral from the Electoral Commission, centers on alleged offences under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which governs concealed or disguised donations from impermissible donors. Detectives have interviewed two individuals under caution, but no arrests have been made.
Richard Tice has stated that the decision to donate the money was his company's and questioned the timing of the police's alleged briefing to the BBC, suggesting it was part of a politically motivated smear campaign.
Separately, the National Crime Agency is conducting its own internal investigation in response to complaints from Tice and Nigel Farage regarding the alleged leaking of their financial information. This follows reports that donations made to them and Tice's firm had been flagged to the agency as part of its Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) programme, which are made to law enforcement to highlight potential instances of money laundering.
Fiona Cottrell's son, George Cottrell, has been linked to political rows concerning undeclared benefits and has a past fraud conviction in the United States. Nigel Farage has stated he has no knowledge of George Cottrell providing funds to his mother for onward donation to the party.