Richard Tice said he believed reports about the money from Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, were a ‘politically motivated smear’.
Reform UK’s deputy leader has insisted a donor at the heart of a row over the party’s finances is “permissible” and comes from a “very successful aristocratic family”.
Richard Tice said he believed reports about the money from Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, were a “politically motivated smear” against the party amid ongoing scrutiny over support and gifts received by its senior figures.
According to The Times, Ms Cottrell made two £250,000 payments to Reform before the last general election in 2024, in which Mr Farage became an MP for the first time.
She also gave £1 million to Britain Means Business, described as a fundraising vehicle for the party which deputy leader Mr Tice is a director of, which was among transactions flagged by bankers to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in suspicious activity reports, according to the Guardian.
The Metropolitan Police has said the force opened an inquiry in February 2025 following a referral by the Electoral Commission “relating to donations made to a political party ahead of the 2024 UK general election”.
It comes after The Times newspaper reported that Scotland Yard has been investigating £500,000 donations to Reform UK for more than a year, with officers looking into possible offences related to evading restrictions.
Asked whether he was aware of the probe, Mr Tice said: “No, that’s absolutely the first time I’ve heard of this investigation. And isn’t it a coincidence that it’s suddenly been leaked out the same week as all the stuff’s come out of the National Crime Agency?”
He added: “This is all a politically motivated smear campaign. It’s outrageous.”
Asked about the source of the £1 million donation by Ms Cottrell to his company, Mr Tice told Times Radio: “Yes, it was donated to the company by Fiona Cottrell, and that is that. She’s a permissible donor.”
Pressed on whether any due diligence was done where Ms Cottrell had got the money from, he said: “I’ve known the Cottrell family, my family have known the Cottrell family and the broader Hesker family, for more than 50 years.
“A very successful aristocratic family, and as far as I’m concerned, she’s a permissible donor and that’s the end of it.”
Ms Cottrell is said to have no history as a political donor.
Labour has accused Reform UK of taking the public “for fools” amid the ongoing scrutiny about its financial affairs, with party chairwoman Anna Turley welcoming the Met investigation.
A spokesperson for the force said two people had so far been interviewed under caution and “early investigative advice” had been sought from the Crown Prosecution Service, but no arrests have been made.
A spokesperson for Reform UK said: “The British people are tired of the establishment media doing anything they can to stop Reform.
“A daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning the next general election and fixing broken Britain.”
It comes after Mr Farage announced he would quit as MP for Clacton to stand in the ensuing by-election after questions mounted about a separate £5 million gift he received from crypto-billionaire and Reform donor Christopher Harborne.
The party leader has billed the by-election, likely to take place on August 13, as a “people versus the establishment” contest.
But his main opponent is likely to be comedy candidate Count Binface after the mainstream parties boycotted the contest.
Ms Turley said: “Nigel Farage can run against a bin in his distraction by-election, but he can’t hide from legitimate questions.”
Mr Farage is currently the subject of an investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg over whether his failure to declare the £5 million gift on becoming an MP in 2024 breached Commons rules.
That investigation was suspended on his resignation, but is likely to resume if he wins the by-election and returns to the Commons.
If he is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of Mr Farage losing his seat, forcing a second contest.
Mr Farage said he believed he was facing the “anti-Trump playbook” and accused other parties of “acting in concert” with each other to boycott the by-election.
US president Donald Trump appeared to indicate his backing for the Reform UK leader earlier this week, sharing a link to an article from the National Pulse website headlined: “They’re Running The 2024 Anti-Trump Playbook On Nigel Farage” on his Truth Social platform.
Asked about the post, Mr Farage told TalkTV: “Well, that’s what I believe, and that’s why I thought: let’s put it to the public.”
He said there should be a general election as well as a by-election, claiming Andy Burnham will have “no mandate of any kind at all, and the public are pretty sick of this game of musical chairs that goes on in No 10”.
Hitting out at other Westminster parties, Mr Farage said: “They have acted in concert with each other as the uniparty. They’re trying to turn it into a joke.”
It comes after Mr Farage attacked Parliament’s Standards Committee, which oversees the commissioner’s work and could impose a sanction if he is found to have broken the rules, saying it was “completely subjective”.
Mr Farage has also faced questions about undeclared support provided by his long-standing ally George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster and the son of Fiona, following a Sunday Times investigation.
Mr Tice has accused the NCA of leaking his and Mr Farage’s private information on Tuesday.
