UK police probe Reform UK donations linked to Nigel Farage

The Metropolitan Police are investigating at least £500,000 in donations made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of convicted fraudster George Cottrell, ahead of the 2024 general election. Two separate payments of £250,000 made in May 2024 are alleged to have concealed the source of the money or contained false donor information, potentially breaching Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Detectives have interviewed two people under caution; no arrests have been made. The probe, launched in February 2025 after a referral from the Electoral Commission, also looks at a £1 million transfer that Fiona Cottrell made in June 2024 to the fundraising vehicle Britain Means Business via the Australian payments firm Oneify, of which £500,000 later entered Reform’s accounts. Banks and the National Crime Agency flagged the transactions as possible money‑laundering risks. Reform leader Nigel Farage has denied any wrongdoing, and deputy leader Richard Tice described the Cottrells as a “permissible donor” family he has known for decades. Farage has resigned his seat and will contest the ensuing Clacton by‑election.