LONDON, Sept. 10 — The Metropolitan Police have opened a criminal investigation into Reform UK over allegations that the party broke foreign funding laws, deepening legal pressure on Nigel Farage and his party.
The investigation follows a Channel 4 News probe into donations to the party and was confirmed by police on September 9. Officers are examining whether Reform UK and associated individuals accepted or reported money in breach of political finance rules, police said.
At the center of the scrutiny are donations to Farage from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire, reported to total £5 million, and separate contributions linked to George Cottrell and his mother Fiona. Farage has said he was under no obligation to declare the money because it was given before he became a Member of Parliament. Richard Tice, the Reform chairman, has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Cottrell donations.
A parallel inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is examining whether Farage breached House of Commons rules. If he is suspended for more than 10 sitting days, a recall petition would be triggered in his Clacton constituency, potentially forcing another by-election.
Banks also raised a suspicious activity report over the Harborne payment, leading to a referral to the National Crime Agency. Farage resigned his seat to fight a by-election on the issue and was re-elected, describing the scrutiny as politically motivated.
Reform UK has denied all allegations and said it fully complies with electoral law. The party holds eight seats in the House of Commons, and the police investigation is ongoing.