LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) — British police are investigating donations worth at least £500,000 ($671,300) made to Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party, according to a report by The Times, with authorities examining whether electoral funding laws were breached.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that officers are investigating potential offences related to political donations, including the possible concealment of the true source of funding and the provision of false information to a political party’s treasurer.
In a statement, the force said the investigation was launched in February 2025 following a referral from the Electoral Commission concerning donations made to a political party ahead of the 2024 UK General Election.
“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,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.
Police said two individuals have been interviewed under caution, but no arrests have been made. Authorities did not identify those involved in the investigation.
According to The Times, investigators are examining payments made to Reform UK before the 2024 election by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, a longtime political ally of Farage.
George Cottrell served a prison sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to wire fraud in 2017. He now works in the cryptocurrency sector.
Farage has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks over Reform UK’s finances and his own financial affairs, including questions surrounding undisclosed gifts from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor and his association with Cottrell.
The Reform UK leader has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the donation from the cryptocurrency investor was received before he officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 general election and therefore did not require disclosure under electoral rules.
Earlier this week, Farage, one of the leading figures behind Britain’s Brexit campaign, announced that he would resign his parliamentary seat and seek re-election in a by-election. He said the move would allow voters to deliver their verdict on the allegations and criticism surrounding his financial affairs.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no charges have been filed.
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