Reform councillors told to call donations inquiry ‘establishment stitch-up’

Party briefing notes say: ‘Daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning next general election’ Reform UK has instructed its councillors to describe a police investigation into donations from the mother of George Cottrell as an establishment stitch-up, as polling showed the party’s popularity plummeting. Internal briefing documents circulated to the party’s councillors included instructions to respond to questions about a Metropolitan police investigation into party donations with: “It is now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us”, the Times revealed on Thursday. Local government representatives were also instructed to respond to questions with: “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.” Police are investigating donations worth £500,000 made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of the crypto-gambler and convicted fraudster “Posh George”, who is a close friend of Farage. The Guardian revealed in April that the Reform UK leader had received