Arron Banks 'hired private detective' to investigate journalist who reported on Reform UK

Arron Banks, a key figure in the Brexit campaign and a prominent member of the Reform UK party, is accused of hiring private investigators to scrutinize a Sunday Times journalist. The journalist, Gabriel Pogrund, leads the newspaper's Insight investigations team, which has published a series of reports detailing financial inflows to Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage. Banks allegedly engaged Precision Risk and Intelligence, a firm he previously owned, to investigate Pogrund. When questioned, Banks did not deny the allegations. He suggested his interest stemmed from a belief that "the Sunday Times used hacked information," adding, "When you live by the sword, you die by the sword." The Sunday Times has faced scrutiny over its reporting, particularly after revealing that Farage received financial support from convicted criminal George Cottrell. Further reports indicated that Cottrell paid for Farage's security, accommodation, and social media support, and helped broker his return as Reform UK leader. Cottrell's mother also made significant donations to the party. The Sunday Times vehemently denied the accusation of using illegally sourced information. A spokesperson described Banks' alleged actions as "reprehensible," stating that "his reaction to our reporting is to place a journalist under surveillance." The paper asserted that its stories were based on "responsible and professional journalism."

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We believe the Sunday Times used hacked information and that was an area of interest. We do have an investigative arm that’s got advanced capabilities.