# Police investigate payments to Reform UK first revealed by The Guardian

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/police-investigate-payments-to-reform-uk-first-revealed-by-the-guardian/
- Published: 2026-07-25T19:11:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-25T20:13:05+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/25/police-investigate-payments-reform-uk-guardian
- Topics: Art, Business, Companies, Culture, Elections, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Police are examining £500,000 donated to Reform UK through Richard Tice’s company.
- Investigators are trying to establish the original source of £1m.
- Two people were interviewed under caution; no arrests have been made.

## Summary

The Metropolitan police are investigating £500,000 in donations to Reform UK made through Britain Means Business, a company controlled by the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, shortly before the 2024 general election. The inquiry matters because it concerns whether political-donation rules were followed and whether the original source of the money can be established.

The Guardian reported that Fiona Cottrell transferred £1m to Britain Means Business, with about half subsequently donated to Reform; she also gave the party two direct £250,000 donations, which are within the investigation’s scope. Police launched the investigation in February 2025 following an Electoral Commission referral, have interviewed two people under caution and made no arrests; the National Crime Agency is seeking overseas assistance to trace the source of the £1m. Reform says it applies stringent donation checks and follows Electoral Commission rules, while Tice has described previous reports as politically motivated.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.