Police investigating Reform donations – reports
Police are reportedly investigating donations worth at least £500,000 made to Reform UK by the mother of a convicted fraudster who paid for Nigel Farage’s social media staff and security.
Times newspaper, external Fiona Cottrell was at the center of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police that lasted more than a year.
A spokesman for the force confirmed the two men had been interviewed discreetly, no arrests had been made and the investigation into donations to a political party was ongoing.
Reform sources say no party officials have been questioned by police.
The investigation is said to relate to allegations of concealing or concealing donations to a party from an “unauthorized” donor or using “inaccurate” information about a donation, including the amount or identity of the donor.
As first reported by The Times, the investigation relates to two £250,000 payments Fiona Cottrell made to Reform ahead of the last general election in 2024.
The first donation appeared in the party’s accounts on May 9, 2024. The second appeared a few weeks later, on May 29, about a month before election day. Records of donations were kept It was published by the Election Commission., external
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in this election.
The Times claims Fiona Cottrell’s husband Mark, who died in 2023, left an estate worth £1.5 million and described himself as a “retired stylist”.
BBC News has attempted to contact Fiona Cottrell for comment.
The concept of “permissible” and “impermissible” donors was introduced by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000, which prohibits foreign funding of political parties.
The legislation means parties can only accept money from a permitted donor.
Permitted donors include individuals registered on the electoral roll and companies registered in the United Kingdom.
The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Fiona Cottrell’s son, George Cottrell, supported Farage by paying staff and security costs before the 2024 elections, but these aids were not disclosed after Farage became an MP.
George Cottrell was a long-time close political and personal ally of the Reformation UK leader.
He pleaded guilty to fraud in the US and spent eight months in prison there before being released in 2017.
After his release, Cottrell returned to the UK and dated reality TV star and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here winner Georgia Toffolo.
He later moved to Montenegro, where the Sunday Times reported that he became a “key player” at Tether.bet, an online betting company and casino that offers users big bets on sports and politics with cash or cryptocurrency.
Cottrell’s lawyers said he “categorically disputes the allegations and allegations made by the Sunday Times” regarding his financial assistance to Farage.
The reform leader denied any wrongdoing and said he did not need to declare the benefits because they were not related to his political activity.
In June 2024, Fiona Cottrell also donated £1 million to Britian Means Business, a think tank owned by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice, the Guardian reported.
Data from the Electoral Commission shows Britain Means Business donated £500,000 to Reform UK in the same month.
It is not known whether the Met Police investigation also examined his donation to Britain Means Business.
The revelation about the Met’s investigation comes as scrutiny into Nigel Farage’s personal finances increases.
He is facing a parliamentary standards investigation into an undeclared payment of £5 million given to him by crypto billionaire and Reform donor Christopher Harborne ahead of the 2024 general election.
Farage insisted the money was an unconditional personal gift that did not need to be declared to parliamentary authorities.
The reform leader resigned as Clacton MP this week to trigger a by-election “against the people and the order” in which he will also stand.
Tice told Times Radio he had known the Cottrell family for “50 years” and said the latest revelations were a “politically motivated smear campaign”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson contacted by the BBC said: “An investigation was launched in February 2025 following a referral to the Metropolitan Police by the Electoral Commission in relation to donations made to a political party ahead of the 2024 UK General Election.”
He added: “Detectives from the Met’s Special Investigation Team are investigating alleged offenses under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
“Early investigation advice was received from the Crown Prosecution Service and two people have been interviewed discreetly so far. No arrests have been made.
“An offense under this section is not an offense that the Electoral Commission can investigate and therefore it is a matter for the police.”
The Electoral Commission told the BBC: “The Metropolitan Police Service has issued a statement regarding an ongoing police investigation. We have no further comment.”
