Police investigating Reform donations - reports

The police are reportedly investigating at least £500,000-worth of donations made to Reform UK by the mother of a convicted fraudster who paid for Nigel Farage's social media staff and security. The Times newspaper has reported that Fiona Cottrell is at the centre of a more than year-long inquiry being conducted by the Metropolitan Police. A spokesperson for the force confirmed that two people had been interviewed under caution, no arrests had been made and an investigation into donations made to a political party is ongoing. Reform sources say no party officials have been interviewed by the police. The investigation is said to relate to allegations of concealing or disguising donations derived from an "impermissible" donor to a party, or the use of "false" information about a donation including the amount or the identity of the donor. As first reported by The Times, the investigation relates to two payments of £250,000 Fiona Cottrell made to Reform before the last general election in 2024. The first donation appeared in the party's accounts on May 9 2024. The second appeared a few weeks later on 29 May, just over a month before polling day. Records of the donations have been publi