Police are investigating £500,000 in donations made to Reform UK by the mother of a convicted fraudster. The donations were made by Fiona Cottrell, who sent two separate payments of £250,000 each in May 2024.
Fiona's son, George Cottrell, 32, is a convicted fraudster who has been secretly bankrolling Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK. George is currently at the centre of a police investigation into the evasion of restrictions on donations, including concealing or disguising donations from an 'impermissible donor'.
Two people have been interviewed under caution as part of the investigation. George's mother, Fiona, 67, is an aristocrat who reportedly dated Prince Charles in the 1970s. Despite having no history as a political donor, she made the two £250,000 donations before the last general election.
The donations were made before Nigel Farage was officially going to stand as an MP. Additionally, Fiona is believed to have sent a £1 million payment to a company belonging to Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader. Half of this amount was then donated to Reform.
It is unclear where Fiona obtained the £1 million sum from, and whether this relates to the ongoing police investigation. George Cottrell's donations before the election covered a range of expenses, including drivers, security, and the use of a luxury townhouse near Buckingham Palace.
Nigel Farage recently quit as Clacton MP following questions over a £5 million donation from a billionaire. The by-election that followed has been boycotted by parties in Westminster, who describe it as a 'sham'. The election has attracted a comedy candidate, Count Binface, as the highest-profile opponent to Farage.
The by-election process is ongoing, with potential candidates submitting their nominations from July 14-17. Residents of the Essex constituency who are not already on the electoral register have until July 28 to apply for a vote.
