Police investigate £500,000 Reform donations from mother of fraudster who backed Farage

George Cottrell’s mother, Fiona, at centre of criminal inquiry over potential evasion of restrictions on donations Police are investigating donations worth £500,000 made to Reform UK by the mother of a convicted fraudster and ally of Nigel Farage. The investigation concerns two donations of £250,000 made by Fiona Cottrell, whose son George has often accompanied Farage to Reform events and media appearances. The May 2024 donations are under investigation over whether they were intended to conceal a donation by an impermissible donor. Two people had been interviewed under caution in relation to the May 2024 donations, the Metropolitan police said in a statement on Thursday night, adding that the investigation was launched in February 2025 after a referral by the Electoral Commission. No arrests have been made. The donations appear to be separate to a deposit of about £1m that Fiona Cottrell made in June 2024 to a company run by Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader. This week, the Guardian revealed that the transfer to Tice’s company, Britain Means Business, was reported to the National Crime Agency by bankers. According to financial industry sources, bankers and the NCA have