Scotland Yard is investigating two £250,000 donations to Reform UK made before the 2024 general election. The payments came through Britain Means Business, a company controlled by Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader.
The Metropolitan police launched the inquiry after The Guardian initially reported the donations. Officers are examining whether the payments followed proper campaign finance rules and disclosure requirements. Reform UK must declare all donations above £500 to the Electoral Commission under UK law.
The investigation centers on the structure of the donations and whether they bypassed standard transparency procedures by routing money through a company rather than direct contributions to the party. Tice's involvement in controlling the company that made the payments raises questions about potential coordination and compliance with election finance regulations.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, entered the 2024 election as a major force in British politics, winning four seats in Parliament. The party has positioned itself as an anti-establishment alternative and garnered significant donations from wealthy backers during the campaign.
This police inquiry adds to scrutiny over campaign finance practices during the 2024 election cycle. The Electoral Commission has faced criticism for its enforcement of donation rules, and several parties have faced investigations into their funding sources.
The timing and structure of the Britain Means Business payments will likely form the core of the police investigation. Officers will determine whether Tice or other party officials coordinated the donations and whether proper declarations were made to electoral authorities.
Tice has not yet publicly commented on the investigation. Reform UK may face penalties ranging from fines to restrictions on future donations if the police investigation finds violations of campaign finance law.