British police probe £500,000 in donations to Reform UK party

Metropolitan Police detectives have opened a criminal investigation into at least £500,000 in donations to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, focusing on whether political-donation rules were breached in the run-up to the UK general election on July 4, 2024. The case began in February 2025 after a referral from the Electoral Commission, and two people have been interviewed under caution so far, with no arrests made.

The inquiry is being handled by the Met’s Special Enquiry Team and centers on possible offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, including concealment of the source of funds or giving false information to a party treasurer. Donations and loans to political parties must be checked, recorded and reported, and contributions above £500 fall under the regulatory system.

The donations at the heart of the inquiry are two payments of £250,000 made by Fiona Cottrell on May 9 and May 29, 2024. Fiona Cottrell is the mother of George Cottrell, a long-time associate of Farage who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the United States and served eight months in prison in 2017. Reform separately acknowledged that Farage received undeclared staff, security and accommodation support from George Cottrell.

Farage has already faced weeks of questions over Reform’s finances and his own personal benefits, including a parliamentary standards inquiry over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Labour said the allegations raised “legitimate questions,” while Reform has denied wrongdoing and argued that it is being unfairly targeted by the establishment.

Fiona Cottrell also gave £1 million to Britain Means Business, a think tank run by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice, and £500,000 of that was later donated to Reform by Tice and declared to the Electoral Commission.