Reform UK faces scrutiny over a £5m donation to Nigel Farage from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The party's response, framing questions as persecution and using friendly media outlets, is compared to Donald Trump's tactics. Concerns about financial transparency and links to cryptocurrency are highlighted.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused the National Crime Agency (NCA) of leaking financial information to the media concerning himself and Nigel Farage. This allegation emerged after the Guardian approached Reform about a £5m gift to Farage from a crypto billionaire, which had been reported to the NCA.
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice has written to the National Crime Agency (NCA) asking if it leaked his private financial information to the media. Payments to his organizations were flagged to the NCA via Suspicious Activity Reports, which Tice believes the Guardian newspaper obtained from the agency.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice struggled to definitively rule out further large gifts to party figures beyond a £5m donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Tice stated he was unaware of any other gifts and asserted the party complies with rules, while defending crypto and contrasting the donation with a bribery case.
Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, seeks to present issue as irrelevant in interview with Laura Kuenssberg Labour has accused Nigel Farage of attempting to dodge scrutiny as the Reform leader continued to face questions over the £5m gift he received from a crypto billionaire shortly before the last general election.Asked about the gift from Christopher Harborne on Sunday, the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, sought to present it as an irrelevance to voters and said it had complied with all the rules. Continue reading...
Reform UK received a £200,000 donation from JCB in November 2025, after party figures including Nigel Farage repeatedly promoted the company's PotHole Pro machine. Farage entered a rally on the vehicle last year, calling it a symbol of 'broken Britain.' Liberal Democrats have complained to the Electoral Commission, questioning whether public contracts are being traded for political patronage. Two Reform-run councils have adopted the machines through proper procurement, though a 2021 trial in Lincolnshire initially found the machine ineffective.
Reform UK’s leading figures repeatedly promoted JCB’s pothole-fixing machine before the company donated £200,000 to the party. Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Robert Jenrick, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice all praised the PotHole Pro, with Farage entering a rally on one of the vehicles. JCB made the £200,000 donation in November 2025 after years of funding the Conservatives. Two Reform-run councils have adopted the machines, while the Liberal Democrats have complained to the Electoral Commission questioning whether public contracts are being traded for political patronage.
Reform UK politicians have frequently promoted JCB's 'PotHole Pro' machine, raising questions after the company donated £200,000 to the party. The Liberal Democrats have requested an investigation into potential political patronage.
Reform UK has asked steel industry leaders to draft an alternative strategy that includes abandoning net zero policies, aiming to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the government's industrial and energy policies ahead of local elections.
Reform UK is facing controversy after Richard Tice posted a campaign photo that experts and social media users identified as likely AI-generated or heavily edited. Critics pointed to multiple telltale signs including mangled fingers, garbled text on signs reading 'Get Stuppence Out' instead of 'Get Starmer Out', blurred faces, unnaturally perfect geometric patterns, and a floating sign. Reform UK denied the image is AI-generated, with a spokesperson stating the photograph is real but was 'slightly edited using AI, mainly to increase the brightness.'
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice posted a photo of campaigners in Birmingham's Erdington suburb that analysts say shows clear signs of AI manipulation. The party acknowledged the image was 'slightly edited using AI' to increase brightness, but digital forensics firm Peryton Intelligence found evidence of distorted faces, extra fingers, and pixel-perfect patterns typical of AI generation. The incident adds to controversy surrounding Reform politicians' use of AI, following earlier issues with candidate Matt Goodwin.
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, allegedly failed to pay almost £100,000 in corporation tax through four shell companies between 2020-2022, with his investment company Tisun Investments Ltd transferring £1.113m to Reform UK during that period. The Sunday Times reported the companies were set up to receive dividends from Tice's property investment firm. Tice acknowledged potential errors and stated he would pay what is owed. Labour party chair Anna Turley called for Nigel Farage to explain why Tice remains deputy leader.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice is under fire following reports his property company failed to pay a £91,000 tax levy on dividends. Tice and his party describe the issue as a minor administrative error, while Labour has demanded a full explanation regarding his integrity.
