Reform UK instructed its councillors to dismiss a police inquiry into party donations as an establishment conspiracy, according to internal briefing documents obtained by the Guardian.
The party told councillors to respond to questions about a Metropolitan Police investigation into donations from Fiona Cottrell, mother of Reform donor George Cottrell, by claiming "the establishment will try anything to stop us." The briefing notes framed the inquiry as part of a coordinated attack, stating that the "daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning next general election."
The directive emerged as polling data showed Reform UK's popularity declining sharply. Party leadership deployed the messaging strategy to maintain councillor discipline during a period of negative publicity surrounding the donations investigation.
The briefing documents represent an organized effort to control the party narrative around the police inquiry. Rather than engage substantively with the investigation's questions, Reform UK instructed its grassroots representatives to adopt a unified talking point portraying law enforcement scrutiny as politically motivated.
This approach reflects broader tensions within Reform UK as the party navigates increased scrutiny of its finances and operations. The party has faced multiple controversies related to donations and party funding in recent months.
The timing of the message coincides with declining poll numbers for Nigel Farage's party, which surged in popularity during the lead-up to the recent general election but has since experienced significant slippage in public support. The internal instructions suggest party leadership views the donations inquiry as a threat to its electoral prospects.
Reform UK's strategy of characterizing official investigations as establishment hostility follows a pattern adopted by the party during previous controversies. The approach attempts to mobilize supporters by framing external scrutiny as unfair or coordinated rather than independent inquiry.
The Metropolitan Police investigation continues into how donations reached Reform UK through channels involving the Cottrell family. The inquiry's scope and timeline remain unclear, though interviews conducted under