Police Investigate Reform UK Donations; No Arrests Made

The Metropolitan Police are investigating at least £500,000 in donations made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell before the 2024 UK general election. The force launched the inquiry in February 2025 after a referral from the Electoral Commission. Detectives from the Special Enquiry Team are examining alleged offences under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which covers concealing or disguising donations from an impermissible donor or using false information about a donation.

Fiona Cottrell made two payments of £250,000 each. The first appeared in Reform UK's accounts on 9 May 2024 and the second on 29 May 2024, according to Electoral Commission records. Two people have been interviewed under caution.

No arrests have been made, and early investigative advice has been sought from the Crown Prosecution Service. Reform sources say no party officials have been interviewed. Cottrell's husband Mark died in 2023 and left an estate valued at £1.5 million.

She has described herself as a retired stylist. Her son George Cottrell pleaded guilty to fraud in the United States, served eight months in jail and was released in 2017. In June 2024 Cottrell donated £1 million to Britain Means Business, a think tank owned by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice.

Electoral Commission data show that Britain Means Business then donated £500,000 to Reform UK the same month. It is not known whether the police investigation covers that transaction. The inquiry comes amid separate scrutiny of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

He resigned as MP for Clacton in the week of 10 July 2026 to trigger a by-election and faces a parliamentary standards investigation into an undeclared £5 million payment received before the 2024 election from donor Christopher Harborne. Richard Tice said he had known the Cottrell family for 50 years and described the revelations as a politically motivated smear campaign.