Police are investigating payments totaling £500,000 made to Reform UK by a company controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, BBC News has learned. The donations were made in the run-up to the 2024 general election when Tice served as party chairman.

These payments are now part of a Metropolitan Police investigation into how donations are received and declared under legislation that prohibits concealing or disguising the origins of impermissible donations or using false information about their source. The investigation follows earlier revelations concerning direct donations from Fiona Cottrell to Reform UK.

Britain Means Business, a company wholly owned and controlled by Richard Tice, received £1 million from Fiona Cottrell in June 2024. Subsequently, the company transferred £500,000 to Reform UK within the same month. Tice has stated that he made the decision for his company to donate half of the funds received from Ms. Cottrell to his party. The source of these funds and their subsequent donation to the political party came to light after being flagged to the National Crime Agency through its Suspicious Activity Reports program.

Richard Tice has responded to the news, stating he was unaware of the police investigation and questioning the timing of the Metropolitan Police briefing the BBC. He suggested this could be part of a politically motivated smear campaign against Reform UK and its leaders. The party itself has indicated it was not aware of the specific investigation into the payments from Britain Means Business.

The donations from Britain Means Business occurred in June 2024, shortly before the general election on July 4. The party's accounts show two direct donations from Fiona Cottrell in May 2024, each of £250,000, followed by two £250,000 payments from Britain Means Business in June. Tice was the chairman of Reform UK until July 11, 2024, and subsequently became deputy leader.

A spokesperson for Reform UK stated that the party adheres to stringent vetting procedures for donations and ensures full compliance with Electoral Commission guidelines, as mandated by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. They affirmed that these guidelines have been followed concerning all donations received.

Electoral Commission records confirm the details of these donations. Intriguingly, records also indicate that Reform UK's bank account was frozen for a period in the weeks leading up to the general election. The freezing of the account reportedly occurred a maximum of nine days after the second donation from Britain Means Business was made.

Fiona Cottrell is identified as a significant donor to Reform UK and is the mother of a convicted fraudster with reported connections to Nigel Farage. The Metropolitan Police's investigation is focused on the legality of donations, particularly concerning the concealment of their true source or the misrepresentation of donor identities, as stipulated by election law.