The Metropolitan Police have launched a probe into £500,000 worth of donations made to Reform UK by a company controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice. The payments, which included two £250,000 transfers from Britain Means Business in June 2024, were made just weeks before the general election and are now at the centre of an investigation into potential breaches of electoral law.
The inquiry, being led by the Met's Special Enquiry Team since February 2025, is examining whether Reform UK concealed or misrepresented donations from impermissible sources. The police confirmed that their investigation has been ongoing for over a year following a referral from the Electoral Commission under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
Disclosures to the Electoral Commission reveal that Britain Means Business received £1 million from prominent Reform UK donor Fiona Cottrell in June 2024. Mr Tice claimed responsibility for directing his company to donate half of this sum to Reform UK. It has also emerged that Ms Cottrell is the mother of a convicted fraudster linked to Nigel Farage, who secured parliamentary representation alongside Mr Tice in July 2024.
The development comes after The Times reported earlier this month that £500,000 worth of direct donations from Ms Cottrell to Reform UK in May 2024 were under police investigation. All four payments – including those from Britain Means Business – were made in the weeks leading up to the 2024 general election, during which both Mr Farage and Mr Tice secured parliamentary seats.
Responding to BBC inquiries, Mr Tice expressed surprise at the investigation into his company's donations and questioned why the police would brief the media before contacting those involved. A Reform UK spokesperson reiterated the party's commitment to rigorous vetting of donations and adherence to Electoral Commission guidelines. While the Electoral Commission acknowledged awareness of the police statement, they offered no further comment on the ongoing inquiry.
Records show that Reform UK's bank account was frozen in the weeks before the election, but the reason for this remains unexplained. The investigation into these financial dealings by Reform UK has raised questions about transparency and accountability within the party just months after the general election.