Labour asks Electoral Commission to investigate Reform UK over donations

The UK's Labour party has formally requested the Electoral Commission to investigate whether Reform UK has violated rules concerning political donations. This action comes after a report revealed that George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, allegedly transferred more than $2 million to his mother in the days preceding her significant donations to the party in 2024.

Labour's chair, Bridget Phillipson, wrote to the Electoral Commission, urging an examination of these donations and their accurate recording. The commission has already referred the matter to the Metropolitan police, who are investigating whether Reform UK may have concealed donations from an "impermissible" source. The Guardian newspaper reported that Fiona Cottrell, George Cottrell's mother, received multiple tranches of money totaling over $2 million, which she reportedly attributed to her son, a close associate of Nigel Farage.

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We are entirely confident that Reform followed all electoral rules at the time when the donations were made. Of course, we’ll participate with any inquiries. To the best of my knowledge, we haven’t even been contacted by the police, so I don’t think we have anything more to add to that.

Sources indicate that these funds were then transferred either directly to Reform UK or through Britain Means Business, a fundraising entity associated with the party. Phillipson's letter suggests these revelations are pertinent to determining if the true source of the donations was correctly identified and if statutory requirements for permissible donors were met.

At a press conference, Reform UK's economics spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, addressed the allegations, stating the party is "entirely confident that Reform followed all electoral rules." He added that they would participate in any inquiries but claimed, to his knowledge, the party had not been contacted by the police. Jenrick suggested that journalists should direct their questions to George Cottrell and refocused the press conference on social care.

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If you’ve got a question for Mr Cotrrell then I think you have to direct that to him.