Metropolitan Police detectives are investigating political donations made to Reform UK via a company controlled by party deputy leader Richard Tice, following a referral from the Electoral Commission.
The Police Inquiry and General Election Donations
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in February 2025 after receiving a referral from the Electoral Commission regarding donations made ahead of the 2024 UK general election, according to statements from the force. Detectives from the Met’s special enquiry team are examining potential 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 been interviewed under caution without any arrests being made so far.
The inquiry focuses on two donations of £250,000 each made to Reform UK by a company named Britain Means Business in the weeks leading up to the July 2024 general election. Richard Tice, who was elected to Parliament during the poll, serves as the sole director of Britain Means Business. In addition to those corporate contributions, Fiona Cottrell made two direct donations of £250,000 each to the party in May 2024, which also fall within the scope of the Metropolitan Police investigation.
Tracing the Funds and Financial Intelligence Reports
Prior to the donations reaching Reform UK, Fiona Cottrell transferred £1m to Britain Means Business, with approximately half of those funds subsequently passed to the party. Bankers flagged the transfer through a suspicious activity report submitted to the National Crime Agency. Suspicious activity reports function to identify potential money laundering incidents rather than serving as formal crime reports.
Neither the National Crime Agency nor the participating banks have been able to trace the original source of the £1m sent by Fiona Cottrell to Richard Tice’s company. The National Crime Agency is currently seeking assistance from a foreign partner to determine where the money originated. Fiona and George Cottrell—her son, who is a convicted fraudster with links to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage—have both been interviewed under criminal caution as part of the ongoing police investigation.
Responses from Reform UK and Party Officials
Responding to inquiries about the investigation, Richard Tice questioned the handling of the case by law enforcement. “This is the first I have heard of it – if true why are the Met police briefing the BBC before contacting interested parties?” Tice said. He also questioned whether the leadership of the Metropolitan Police was engaged in a politically motivated smear campaign against Reform UK and its leaders, having previously dismissed reports concerning the funds as politically motivated.
A Reform UK spokesperson defended the party’s financial compliance in a statement. “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,” the spokesperson said. Fiona Cottrell did not respond to media attempts to contact her regarding the financial transfers to Britain Means Business.
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