Police are investigating significant donations made to Reform UK by a company solely owned and controlled by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice. The company, Britain Means Business, transferred a total of £500,000 to the political party in June 2024, in the weeks leading up to the general election.

These payments have now become part of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into donations received by Reform UK. The investigation is examining whether legislation governing election donations, which prohibits concealing or disguising the source of funds or using false information about donors, has been violated.

Details of the donations emerged when the Guardian newspaper reported they had been flagged to the National Crime Agency. BBC News has now learned these specific payments from Britain Means Business are included in the Met Police's wider inquiry into Reform UK's funding. The party has stated it was unaware of this specific aspect of the investigation.

The £500,000 transferred to Reform UK by Britain Means Business originated from Fiona Cottrell, a substantial donor to the party. Ms. Cottrell had provided £1m to Tice's company in June 2024, from which the £500,000 was subsequently donated to Reform UK. Richard Tice stated that the decision to donate half of the funds received from Ms. Cottrell to his party was his own.

Tice has publicly questioned the police's actions, stating, "This is the first I have heard of it - if true why are the Met Police briefing the BBC before contacting interested parties? Is the Met leadership now engaged in the widespread politically motivated smear campaign against Reform and its leaders?" The BBC has sought comment from Fiona Cottrell.

This investigation into Britain Means Business's donations follows an earlier probe by the Metropolitan Police, revealed by The Times newspaper, concerning two direct donations totalling £500,000 made by Fiona Cottrell to Reform UK in May 2024. The legislation under scrutiny requires transparency regarding the identity of donors and the origin of funds.

Records published by the Electoral Commission show that all four payments—two direct from Ms. Cottrell in May and two from Britain Means Business in June—were made in the run-up to the 4 July 2024 general election. Notably, Reform UK's bank account was reportedly frozen in the weeks preceding the election, with records suggesting this occurred shortly after the second donation from Britain Means Business.

Reform UK has maintained its commitment to rigorous vetting of donations, asserting that it adheres strictly to Electoral Commission guidelines as outlined in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The party stated that all donations received to date have complied with these regulations.