The Metropolitan Police are investigating two £250,000 donations made to Reform UK by a company controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, in the weeks before the 2024 general election. The probe, launched in February 2025 after a referral from the Electoral Commission, has already seen two people interviewed under caution and raises serious questions about how political parties are funded in Britain.
At the centre of the investigation is Britain Means Business, a company solely owned and controlled by Tice. According to records, the company received £1m from Fiona Cottrell – a significant Reform donor and mother of convicted fraudster George Cottrell, who has close ties to Nigel Farage – in June 2024. Half of that sum, £500,000, was then donated by Britain Means Business to Reform UK in two payments on 10 and 12 June, just weeks before the general election on 4 July. Separately, Fiona Cottrell had already made two direct donations of £250,000 each to the party in May 2024, which are also part of the police investigation.
“Police investigate £500k donations from Richard Tice's company to Reform UK. Here's what you need to know.”
The legal basis for the investigation is Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which makes it an offence to conceal or disguise donations from an "impermissible" donor, or to use false information about a donation – including the amount or identity of the donor. The Electoral Commission, which regulates party finances, referred the matter to the Met after raising concerns. Britain Means Business's payments were first flagged to the National Crime Agency via suspicious activity reports filed by bankers, though such reports are not criminal allegations but indicators of potential money laundering.
Richard Tice has denied any wrongdoing, calling the investigation a "politically motivated smear campaign" by the Metropolitan Police. In a statement, he said: "This is the first I have heard of it – if true why are the Met Police briefing the BBC before contacting interested parties?" Reform UK has also instructed its councillors to describe the probe as an "establishment stitch-up", according to internal briefing documents seen by the Times. Despite this, polling by YouGov shows Nigel Farage's popularity has plummeted, with only 22% of people holding a positive view – the joint lowest in a decade.
For UK readers, this case highlights the rules governing political donations, which are meant to ensure transparency and prevent foreign or illicit money from influencing elections. Under current law, donations must come from "permissible donors" – typically individuals on the UK electoral register, or UK-registered companies. The investigation focuses on whether the donations from Britain Means Business were effectively routed through a company to obscure the original source. Separately, the party's bank account was frozen for around two weeks around the election date for "compliance checks", according to the Sunday Times. The fact that the source of Fiona Cottrell's original £1m transfer to Britain Means Business could not be traced by bankers or the NCA is a key concern.
Q: Why are the police investigating donations to Reform UK? Police are probing alleged offences under election law, specifically whether donations were disguised or from an impermissible source. The investigation covers £500,000 in donations made by Britain Means Business, a company owned by Richard Tice, that originated from a transfer by Fiona Cottrell.
Q: Who is Fiona Cottrell and why does she matter? Fiona Cottrell is a major donor to Reform UK and the mother of George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster with close links to Nigel Farage. She transferred £1m to Richard Tice's company in June 2024, half of which then went to Reform. Her son has been seen alongside Farage on the campaign trail.
Q: What happens if the police find evidence of an offence? If charges are brought, individuals could face prosecution under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Potential penalties include fines or imprisonment. The Met has sought early advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, but no arrests have been made so far.
What happens next depends on the police investigation. The Metropolitan Police say two people have been interviewed under caution, but no charges have been filed. The Electoral Commission referral was made in February 2025, and the investigation is ongoing. The NCA is said to be seeking help from a foreign partner to trace the original source of Fiona Cottrell's £1m. Separately, Nigel Farage faces other inquiries – including a standards probe over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire and an HMRC investigation into whether he paid tax on that gift. The outcome of these cases could reshape public confidence in political funding and lead to calls for tighter rules on donations.