Police probe donations to Britain’s far-right Reform party

Reform UK’s finances draw police scrutiny as Farage fights to reclaim his seat in a by-election against parody candidate Count Binface.

British police are investigating at least ۵۰۰,۰۰۰ pounds ($۶۷۰,۰۰۰) in donations made to the far-right Reform UK party, adding to a widening campaign-finance scandal that prompted party leader Nigel Farage to abruptly resign his seat in parliament this week.

Police said on Friday that they were investigating potential offences under laws governing party donations, which could include concealment of the true source of funding or providing false information to a party treasurer.

Detectives are scrutinising two ۲۵۰,۰۰۰-pound ($۳۳۵,۵۰۰) donations made ahead of the ۲۰۲۴ general election by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, a convicted felon and long-term financier of Farage’s political activities.

Authorities are investigating whether the funds originated from impermissible foreign or corporate sources. Police said two individuals have been interviewed under caution, though no arrests have been made.

The investigation is part of a broader financial cloud hanging over Reform UK.

Separate reports indicate banks flagged a further ۱ million-pound ($۱.۳m) transaction from Ms Cottrell to a company run by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice to the National Crime Agency (NCA) due to anti-money laundering concerns.

Tice on Friday dismissed the allegations as a “politically motivated smear campaign” and insisted no party officials had been interviewed.

Farage, a vocal former Brexit campaigner, abruptly announced this week that he would resign his parliamentary seat and stand again, seeking a vote of confidence from voters in response to criticism over his finances. The by-election will take place on August ۱۳.

By stepping down, Farage in effect paused a parallel parliamentary standards investigation into an undisclosed ۵ million pounds ($۶.۷m) that he received ahead of the ۲۰۲۴ election from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, a major stakeholder in the stablecoin Tether.

Farage has given conflicting explanations for the money, alternately calling it a reward for campaigning for Brexit, a lifetime personal security fund, and an “unconditional gift” that he could spend on “Ferraris or the horses”.

He has insisted that he has “done nothing wrong”. Framing his campaign to return to his parliamentary seat with the phrase “the people versus the establishment, the Reform leader said: “I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions.”

However, the country’s main political parties have condemned his move as a stunt to evade suspension and announced they would boycott the vote. Parody candidate Count Binface is Farage’s only opponent so far.