George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster who referred to Nigel Farage as “daddy”, was routinely introduced as the Reform UK leader’s chief of staff before the 2024 general election, according to a former party candidate. Tony Mack, who stood aside for Farage in Clacton, told the Guardian that Cottrell was presented as Farage’s chief of staff in meetings. “I remember thinking that it was an odd term to use for someone who was unelected at that point,” said Mack, a psychotherapist and charity worker.
The revelations come as Farage faces mounting questions over undeclared gifts and his party’s finances. The Reform leader accepted freebies from Cottrell – who once offered to launder money for drug dealers – and received a £5m gift from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire. Farage also lobbied the Bank of England to change rules on crypto, and failed to declare his good fortune on parliament’s register of members’ interests. Defending the handouts, Farage told the Daily Mail he was practising “Christian forgiveness”, claiming he had looked into Cottrell’s soul and seen repentance.
“George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster who called Nigel Farage ‘daddy’, was introduced as Farage’s chief of staff, says ex-Reform candidate.”
Others close to the party claim Cottrell arranged the Land Rovers that ferried Reform’s newly elected MPs to parliament and covered the cost of a fundraising lunch with potential donors. The Times reported that Cottrell, 32, had given out a business card with his name and an official email address for Farage, and provided security, accommodation and staffing for the Reform leader before the election. A Reform UK spokesperson insists Cottrell has never held an official role with the party.
Questions intensified this week after the Guardian revealed a loan from Cottrell to Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, was flagged by bankers in suspicious activity reports (SARs) to the National Crime Agency. Another SAR concerned a £1m donation from Cottrell’s mother, Fiona, to Britain Means Business, a fundraising organisation for the party; bank staff were reportedly not satisfied the funds had ultimately come from her. SARs are not proof of wrongdoing but raise concerns for further investigation.
Farage has been “so repeatedly unlucky in his choice of colleagues”, as the Guardian’s John Crace put it, with multiple Reform MPs in trouble with the law, financial authorities or parliamentary rules. But as pressure builds, the question remains: how long can Daddy Nige keep his dysfunctional family in line?