Police investigate donations to Reform UK from Richard Tice's company
Police are investigating donations made to Reform UK from a company controlled by deputy leader Richard Tice, raising questions about the source of the funds.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Police are investigating donations made to Reform UK by a company controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice. The BBC has learned that the Metropolitan Police probe, previously reported to cover two donations from Fiona Cottrell directly to Reform UK in May 2024, has been extended to include two further donations of £250,000 each made in June 2024 by Britain Means Business, a company controlled by Tice.
Tice has previously stated that Fiona Cottrell gave his company £1 million and that he then decided the firm would donate half of that sum to Reform UK. The investigation is thought to relate to allegations that donations from an impermissible donor might have been received or that the donor was concealed or disguised.
When approached by the BBC, Tice said this was the first he had heard of the investigation into the donations his firm made in 2024. He questioned whether the Metropolitan Police's leadership was engaged in a politically motivated smear campaign. A Reform UK spokesman said the party took pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always followed the Electoral Commission's guidelines strictly.
The revelations add to mounting questions facing Reform UK and its leadership over the party's funding.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Police investigation into Reform UK donations includes two £250,000 payments from a company controlled by Richard Tice, who said he learned of the probe from the BBC and accused the force of a politically motivated smear campaign. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC broke the story and emphasised its exclusive discovery that the police investigation is wider than previously reported. The tone is factual and investigative, focusing on the new details about the two £250,000 donations from Richard Tice's company. It includes Tice's response and the party's defence, presenting both sides without editorialising.
- “What we at the BBC have discovered is that the scope of that investigation is wider than previously reported.”
- “He questioned whether the Met Police's leadership was engaged in a politically motivated smear campaign”
- “a Reform spokesman said the party took pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always followed the Electoral Commission's guidelines strictly.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.