Nigel Farage is under mounting pressure to investigate whether pro-Putin elements are active within Reform UK, following the jailing of the party’s former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill, for accepting Russian bribes. Gill, 52, admitted eight counts of bribery at the Old Bailey, having taken thousands of pounds to deliver scripted speeches and promote a pro-Russian agenda while serving as an MEP.
The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command is conducting an ongoing investigation into whether the scandal extends further. Commander Dominic Murphy confirmed that officers have spoken to other individuals mentioned in the case, though he declined to name them. Gill was found to have recruited fellow Britons to make paid speeches, including individuals he worked alongside in the European Parliament.
Speaking during a visit to Wales, Farage refused to launch an internal inquiry, stating: “I haven’t got a police force. I haven’t got access. I can’t access your phone messages. I can’t access your emails. Unless I can do that, I can’t investigate.” He added that he had asked party members if they had taken improper payments, and none had admitted to doing so. Farage described the affair as “an embarrassment for Ukip” and “a very minor embarrassment for Reform,” suggesting it “wouldn’t be a bad thing” for MI5 to examine the matter.
Defence minister Luke Pollard, writing in The Mirror, criticised Farage’s response, arguing that if he was truly “shocked” by Gill’s corruption, he should demonstrate he is taking action. “He’s proved he’s no good at spotting this stuff. He should let someone else look,” Pollard wrote. Business Secretary Peter Kyle accused Reform of having a “Russia problem,” citing Farage’s past praise for Vladimir Putin and appearances on Russian TV. “It is clear that there is a culture within Reform which has lent them towards the kind of strongman Russia of the past,” Kyle told Sky News.
The court heard that Gill promised to bring fellow Brexit Party MPs to a presentation by Victor Medvedchuk, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, whom Gill publicly supported. Pollard described Gill’s actions as “hard to think of a more unpatriotic act that a politician could do.” The case has intensified scrutiny on Farage’s leadership and the party’s ties to Russian interests.
