Phillipson condemns Tice's legal move to silence Guardian journalism

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has sent a legal threat to the Guardian over its coverage of his financial dealings, with his lawyers singling out a specific reporter who covered transactions referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Tice's legal team has indicated it will pursue disclosure of documents in an effort to identify the newspaper's sources.

Separately, Tice is suing the NCA itself, arguing that details of the referred transactions could only have been leaked by someone inside the agency.

Labour party chair Bridget Phillipson said Tice was trying to harass those who exposed serious allegations rather than answer them, and called on him to drop the NCA lawsuit. The Liberal Democrats' Lisa Smart, Spotlight on Corruption director Susan Hawley, and Labour MP Phil Brickell also condemned the move, warning it amounted to using legal pressure to intimidate journalists and hunt down their sources.

Ongoing investigation

The criticism follows months of Guardian reporting into the finances of Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage. The paper revealed the party received a secret £1m donation channelled through a fundraising vehicle linked to Tice, and that Farage received a secret £5m gift shortly before announcing his 2024 general election candidacy. Bankers reportedly flagged these and other transactions to the NCA over money-laundering concerns, though a suspicious activity report is not itself evidence of wrongdoing. Both Farage and Tice deny any wrongdoing.

A Guardian spokesperson said the legal threat appeared designed to deflect from legitimate questions about Tice's finances and Reform UK's funding, and vowed the paper would continue its public-interest investigations undeterred. Press freedom groups including Index on Censorship and the News Media Association also stressed the importance of protecting journalists' sources.