Fraudster George Cottrell seen at numerous Reform events despite ‘no formal role’ in party | Reform UK

Nigel Farage was accompanied by his friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, to numerous Reform events, fundraisers and trips to Abu Dhabi, raising questions about his claim that he had no official role in the party.

Labor called on Farage to clarify his “personal and financial dependence” on Cottrell, who supported his lifestyle through housing and security before the election.

Analysis of reform events shows Cottrell is often present at party press conferences and backstage at rallies, as well as joining Farage for media appearances such as interviews with protesters outside the Iranian embassy earlier this year.

He was also present when Farage visited North London following a terror attack on the Jewish community and at a Brexit “bad boys” reunion lunch at a Mayfair restaurant last month.

Cottrell was there in December 2025 when Farage went to Abu Dhabi, funded by his government, to “attend F1 and have meetings”. The party’s honorary treasurer, Nick Candy, was also there.

The Guardian also previously revealed that Cottrell was on a 2022 trip to Thailand with Farage at the resort of megadonor Christopher Harborne, who donated £15 million to the party and £5 million to Farage personally.

Lawyers for Reform and Cottrell have previously stated that Cottrell “like thousands of party members, is an unpaid volunteer with no official role in Reform UK”.

But Farage is under pressure to clarify the extent of Cottrell’s influence within Reform because he often has access to the party leader and joins him at events and trips.

The Times reported this week that Cottrell gave Farage a business card with his name and an official email address, as well as providing the Reform leader with security, accommodation and staff ahead of the election.

In 2016, Cottrell was charged with 21 crimes for his alleged role in a “money” laundering scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and served time in prison in Arizona, although he requested a pardon from Donald Trump.

Reform acknowledged receiving gifts from Cottrell on Sunday but said they were personal gifts to Farage unconnected to his political activities and therefore did not need to be disclosed.

Reform’s financial spokesman Robert Jenrick accepted that Farage had stayed at Cottrell’s home “a number of times” and that private security was paid for, but argued: “Reform was completely clear on that.”

These revelations have raised questions about how Farage financed his lifestyle before and since becoming an MP.

The Guardian revealed earlier this year that the Reform leader had failed to declare a £5 million donation from Harborne just before announcing his intention to run for parliament. The parliamentary standards commissioner is expected to report within weeks on whether Farage broke the rules by not declaring the 2024 donation.

Labor leader Anna Turley said: “The dam has really burst in this scandal and Reform cannot stop it. Farage can continue to pretend there is nothing to see, but his personal and financial dependence on a convicted criminal… this is not just a private matter, it goes to the heart of who he and his party represent and whose side they are on.”

“Reform’s senior team know this scandal will not go away. It is time for Farage to wake up and smell the coffee. He cannot continue to hide from scrutiny and change his story every time new evidence emerges. He owes the public an explanation and can only do so by putting all the evidence on the table. If he does not, the British public will rightly have to wonder what else he is hiding.”

Reform did not respond to a request for comment about Cottrell’s role in the party and his presence at official events.

A spokesman for Reform and Cottrell’s lawyers told the Times in response to the business card story: “George Cottrell, like thousands of party members, is an unpaid volunteer with no official role at Reform UK.

“The business card was designed to help donors or other members of the public easily contact Nigel Farage’s office. It was not intended to suggest any official position or authority. Mr Cottrell has never held an official role within the party.”

Ministers on Monday approved a series of measures to make political finance more transparent, including restrictions on donations from foreign-based philanthropists. But Labor MPs are pushing the government to go further with its new rules, including a strict cap on all political donations.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy has promised to introduce an amendment to the public bill’s representation to cap donations at £100,000; the government says this will harm the political process.

Creasy said: “Every week, more evidence emerges of the need to take action to prevent the notion that there is a price tag on any politician in the UK, such as the allegations regarding Cottrell. This diminishes public confidence in all of us.”

“Limiting donations from a single person to £100,000 in a calendar year will put an end to the idea that any one millionaire’s voice is more important than anyone else’s and will protect those who want to support causes they care about across the board. Every party is after big donations; if we want to defend democracy, we must step in now before it is too late.”