Police investigate payments to Reform UK first revealed by The Guardian

The Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) have launched an investigation into payments made to the right-wing Reform UK party, following revelations by The Guardian. The inquiry centres on financial flows linked to Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader.

Police are scrutinising two donations of £250,000 each that the party received from Britain Means Business, a company solely directed by Tice, in the weeks before the July 2024 general election. The Guardian previously reported that Fiona Cottrell—whose son George is a convicted fraudster with close ties to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage—transferred £1 million to Tice's company shortly before those donations were made. Approximately half of that sum was then passed on to the party.

Fiona Cottrell has been interviewed under criminal caution as part of the investigation. She also made two direct donations of £250,000 each to the party in May 2024, which are also within the scope of the police probe.

The transfer from Cottrell to Britain Means Business was flagged by bankers to the National Crime Agency (NCA) via a suspicious activity report. Neither the NCA nor banks have been able to trace the original source of the £1 million, and the NCA is seeking help from a foreign partner to determine its origin.

Richard Tice, who was elected to parliament in election, has dismissed the reports as a "politically motivated smear campaign". A Reform UK spokesperson stated that the party rigorously vets donations and strictly follows the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the investigation was launched in February 2025 after a referral from the Electoral Commission. Detectives are investigating alleged offences under section 61 of the Act. Two people have been interviewed under caution but no arrests have been made. The Crown Prosecution Service has provided early investigative advice.