The Metropolitan Police are investigating £500,000 in donations made to Reform UK by Britain Means Business, a company owned and controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice.
The company made two separate payments of £250,000 in June 2024, during the run-up to the general election on July 4, when Tice was serving as the party's chairman. According to Tice, the funds were originally provided to his business by Fiona Cottrell, a prominent Reform UK donor and the mother of George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster with close associations to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Responding to the development, Tice expressed surprise and questioned the timing of the disclosures. "This is the first I have heard of it – if true why are the Met Police briefing the media before contacting interested parties? Is the Met leadership now engaged in the widespread politically motivated smear campaign against Reform and its leaders?" Tice said.
This line of inquiry is part of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into political donations received by Reform UK. Earlier reports revealed that two direct donations totaling £500,000 made by Fiona Cottrell to the party in May 2024 were already under police scrutiny.
The police investigation focuses on potential violations of Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. This legislation prohibits concealing or disguising the true origin of political donations from "impermissible" donors, as well as providing false information regarding the value of a donation or the identity of the donor. Under UK law, political parties may only accept financial contributions from permissible donors, which include individuals registered on a UK electoral register and companies registered within the United Kingdom.
Records show that Britain Means Business, which is solely owned and managed by Tice, received £1 million from Fiona Cottrell in June 2024. Electoral Commission disclosures show that the company subsequently donated £500,000 to Reform UK in the same month. Tice previously stated that the decision to pass half of the received funds to the political party was entirely his own choice.
The financial transactions first attracted attention when they were flagged to the National Crime Agency (NCA) under its Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) program. SARs are submitted by financial institutions to alert law enforcement to potential instances of money laundering. Following complaints from Tice and Nigel Farage regarding the leak of their private financial details, the NCA launched an internal investigation into how the information became public.
It is understood that Reform UK was not previously aware that the payments from Britain Means Business were included in the Metropolitan Police's active investigation. A spokesperson for Reform UK stated: "Reform takes pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always ensures that the Electoral Commission guidelines on donations, as set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, are strictly followed, as has been the case with donations so far."
All four of the scrutinized payments occurred in the weeks preceding the July 4 general election, which saw both Farage and Tice elected to Parliament. The first direct donation from Fiona Cottrell, amounting to £250,000, was recorded in the party's accounts on May 9. The second direct donation of £250,000 was registered on May 29. The subsequent payments from Britain Means Business were made on June 10 and June 12, each totaling £250,000.
Public records published by the Electoral Commission reveal that Reform UK's bank account was frozen in the weeks leading up to the election. The commission's database indicates that the freeze went into effect a maximum of nine days after the second donation from Britain Means Business. The exact reason for the temporary freezing of the account remains undisclosed.
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission confirmed it was aware of the Metropolitan Police's statement regarding the active investigation but declined to comment further, noting that the allegations fall outside the commission's regulatory powers and are a matter for the police.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the investigation into the four donations has been active for over a year, having been initiated in February 2025 following a referral from the Electoral Commission. A police spokesperson stated: "An investigation was launched in February 2025 after a referral was made to the Metropolitan Police by the Electoral Commission relating to donations made to a political party ahead of the 2024 UK General Election."
They added: "Detectives from the Met's Special Enquiry Team are investigating alleged offences under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Early investigative advice has been sought from the Crown Prosecution Service and two people have so far been interviewed under caution. No arrests have been made. An offence under this section is not one that the Electoral Commission can investigate and, as such, it is a matter for the police."
The controversy also involves George Cottrell, Fiona Cottrell's son, who has been a prominent associate of Nigel Farage. Reports have alleged that George Cottrell supported Farage prior to the 2024 election by funding social media staff and security, which were not declared after Farage became an MP. Farage has since resigned as an MP and is contesting a by-election in Clacton. Farage has consistently maintained that any pre-election financial assistance was provided in a personal capacity and did not require official declaration.
Lawyers representing George Cottrell at Carter Ruck stated that their client "categorically disputes allegations and assertions… which clearly fail to reflect what that publisher was told in advance of its reporting." When asked whether George Cottrell had transferred money to his mother before she made the donations to Reform UK, his legal team stated: "Our client has confirmed his instructions that any donations by his mother have been entirely her own decision."
During a campaign event in Norfolk, Farage stated he had "absolutely no idea" whether George Cottrell had transferred money to his mother for the purpose of donating it to the party. "What's it got to do with me how families sort out their finances?" Farage remarked. "If the money was hers legally and she gave the donation, I don't see what the problem is." George Cottrell previously pleaded guilty to fraud in the United States, serving an eight-month prison sentence before being released in 2017, after which he returned to the UK and later moved to Montenegro.
Britain Means Business was originally founded in August 2017 under the name Leave Means Leave, campaigning for a "clean Brexit." The organization was established by Tice alongside John Longworth, the former director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce. Longworth left the group in January 2020, the month of the UK's official departure from the European Union. Tice subsequently renamed the entity Britain Means Business and remains its sole owner and director.
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