Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, has said the party is 'not aware' of any other large gifts to Nigel Farage or senior figures beyond the £5m donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. However, he admitted the party cannot check every member's bank accounts, during a press conference where he faced intense scrutiny over the controversial gift.
Tice, who is second in command to Farage, insisted that neither he nor Farage were afraid of questions about the donation, which was revealed by the Guardian as having been given before the general election. When pressed on whether Farage or others had received further personal gifts, Tice said, 'None that I’m aware of,' and later added, 'At the end of the day, we are saying to people: 'You’ve got to trust us.''
The Reform deputy also addressed the absence of Farage from press conferences for almost 50 days, suggesting it was to showcase the party's broader talent. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder,' Tice said. He rejected comparisons between the Harborne donation and a bribe taken by former Reform leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, from Russian-linked agents, calling Gill's actions a criminal offence.
Tice defended the party's transparency, stating, 'We take all questions,' and noted that Farage had given interviews about the £5m. He added that the matter is now with the parliamentary standards commissioner. The press conference also saw Tice announce a national day of litter-cleaning and criticise fast-food chains like McDonald's for litter.
Labour chair Anna Turley responded by saying any party vowing to 'clean up Britain' should start by clarifying how their leader failed to declare a secret £5m 'gift'. She noted that it had been 50 days since Farage last held a press conference, accusing him of 'desperately deflecting attention'.
