Reform UK has accused the National Crime Agency (NCA) of illegally leaking confidential banking information relating to senior party figures, with deputy leader Richard Tice demanding an urgent investigation into what he claims are criminal disclosures. The row erupted after Tice alleged details of his private financial affairs and those of Reform leader Nigel Farage had been passed to newspapers from within the NCA. Farage today triggered a by-election in his Clacton constituency, which he says he will stand in.
Tice Writes to NCA Director General
According to reports first published by The Telegraph, Tice has written to NCA director general Graeme Biggar calling for an internal inquiry after information about bank transactions involving both Reform politicians emerged in the media. The allegations centre on suspicious activity reports (SARs), confidential reports submitted by banks under anti-money laundering rules whenever transactions are considered worthy of scrutiny. The reports are routinely assessed by the NCA, although the vast majority require no further action.
Details of the Alleged Leak
Tice said he was unaware any of his transactions had been flagged under the SAR system until he was contacted by The Guardian. He claims the newspaper had access to details spanning several accounts and multiple transactions over a period of months. The Reform deputy leader believes the NCA is the only organisation that possessed all of the information published and has accused one or more individuals within the agency of leaking confidential material.
Among the transactions reported was an £80,000 bridging loan provided in December 2024 by businessman George Cottrell to Tice's property company, Tisun Investments. The loan was repaid in February 2025. Cottrell, who was convicted of wire fraud in the United States in 2017, has also been linked to financial support provided to Farage. Separately, Britain Means Business, Tice's think tank, received a £1 million donation from Cottrell's mother, Fiona, in June 2024, with £500,000 later donated to Reform UK and declared to the Electoral Commission.
Farage Under Investigation
The claims come after The Sunday Times published details of financial arrangements between Cottrell and Farage, while The Guardian has previously reported on a £5 million personal donation to Farage from billionaire investor Christopher Harborne. Farage is currently under investigation by Parliament's standards commissioner over his decision not to declare the £5 million donation. He has maintained the funding covered his personal security at a time when he was not serving in frontline politics and therefore did not need to be registered.
Reform UK's Response
Speaking at a Westminster press conference on Tuesday, Farage claimed Reform had been targeted through the use of unlawfully obtained information. He said: "We've been subject in the last few months to the use of illegally obtained information, firm evidence of computer hacking and now leaks from government agencies."
Tice told The Telegraph: "I believe the National Crime Agency has leaked confidential conversations between me and my bank managers as well as multiple bank statements from different banks to The Guardian. One or more people at the NCA have thus committed numerous criminal acts. This appears to be a deliberate tactic to smear and discredit me. I have nothing to hide. I think the same has occurred against Nigel Farage."
NCA Statement
An NCA spokesman said: "The NCA does not confirm or deny the receipt of SARs, nor comment on how any SAR is used. SARs are confidential and breaching that confidentiality risks committing a tipping-off offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act."
