Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin accepted £6,000 from Jonathan Gaskell, a waste company owner who was jailed twice, including for the death of an employee. The donation comes weeks after party leader Nigel Farage claimed Reform stood with working people.
Donor's Criminal Record
Gaskell, 54, was sentenced to eight months in prison in 2018 for health and safety breaches leading to the death of Zbigniew Galka. Galka, 39, died after being crushed while clearing a blockage in a waste-compacting machine at Gaskells Waste Services in Bootle, Liverpool. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the machine's safety system had been disabled two months earlier, and the machine operated dangerously for up to five years after the death. Gaskell's company, Gaskell's (North West) Ltd, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Act and was fined £700,000, later reduced to £650,000, with around £100,000 in costs.
In 2013, Gaskell received a four-month prison sentence at Preston Crown Court for paying to have driving licence points removed in a scam involving a corrupt court official who helped dozens of people.
Pochin's Political Stance
Pochin, Reform's first female MP, has been a vocal critic of the government's Employment Rights Act, which she called a “jobs killer.” She wrote on X that the bill would reduce opportunities and harm the economy. The act gained Royal Assent last year. Pochin, a former magistrate, previously boasted of serving a “community of hard-working people who just want fairness.”
Earlier this month, Pochin faced backlash for a video suggesting England winning World Cup matches could reduce domestic violence. Refuge charity responded: “This is not only misleading, but could allow perpetrators to evade accountability. We must be clear: football is never an excuse for domestic abuse.”
Donation Details
The £6,000 donation, declared in May under House of Commons rules, was listed as supporting Pochin's parliamentary office. Reform UK stated: “The donation was properly declared … Mr Gaskell is a permissible donor, and any matters covered under spent convictions were not relevant.” The party did not answer whether Pochin knew of Gaskell's convictions before accepting the money. Gaskell, said to have rebuilt his life after prison, was contacted for comment.
Pochin won her Runcorn and Helsby seat in a by-election last May by just six votes. She previously served as a Conservative councillor.
