Police have launched an investigation into at least £500,000 in donations made to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in the run-up to the 2024 general election, after the matter was referred by the Electoral Commission in February 2025. The Metropolitan Police said detectives from its special inquiry team are examining potential offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which covers issues such as concealing the true source of funding or providing false information to a party treasurer. Two people have so far been interviewed under caution, though no arrests have been made, and the force has not named those involved.
According to reports, the inquiry is focused on payments made by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, a long-standing political ally of Farage who was convicted of wire fraud in the United States in 2017. Fiona Cottrell donated £250,000 to Reform UK twice in May 2024, and a further £500,000 was later passed to the party via a think tank linked to Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice. The investigation comes amid wider scrutiny of Reform’s finances, with Farage also facing a separate probe by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a £5 million gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne that he received before announcing his candidacy. Farage has denied any wrongdoing in both cases, arguing that the Harborne donation was a personal gift for security and therefore did not need to be declared, and saying his party has nothing to hide about its funding.
The police investigation adds to growing pressure on Reform UK, which has topped national opinion polls and made significant gains in local elections, prompting calls for tighter rules around political donations. The government has already moved to tighten disclosure requirements for pre-candidacy funding and to restrict donations from overseas sources, citing concerns about foreign interference in British democracy. The Electoral Commission said it could not investigate the specific offences now being examined by police and had no further comment while the inquiry is ongoing.
