Labour leader Keir Starmer has initiated an investigation into foreign financial interference in British politics following the imprisonment of former Reform party member Nathan Gill for accepting Russian bribes.
Gill, who previously led the party in Wales, was handed a 10-and-a-half-year jail sentence for promoting pro-Russia propaganda in European Parliament speeches and interviews. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for UKIP and the Brexit Party under Nigel Farage’s leadership from 2014 to 2020 before assuming leadership of Reform in Wales in 2021. Gill resigned after failing to secure a seat in the 2021 Senedd election.
In response to the scandal, Communities Secretary Steve Reed described the case as a “blemish on our democracy” and announced plans for an independent inquiry. Reed emphasized the severity of an elected official accepting bribes to echo falsehoods from a hostile foreign entity implicated in the death of a British citizen on UK soil and the invasion of a European nation.
Former top civil servant Philip Rycroft has been appointed to head the investigation into foreign financial influences on British politics, with findings expected next year. The inquiry aims to evaluate existing financial regulations and safeguards and propose measures to counter risks associated with external political meddling.
This development follows the government’s release of a strategy earlier this year to safeguard elections from interference. Despite initial efforts to address vulnerabilities in the electoral system, Reed highlighted the need for additional scrutiny in light of recent events.
The inquiry is likely to increase pressure on Nigel Farage, who previously dismissed the idea of investigating Russian influences within his party, asserting that Reform is not a policing authority. However, he expressed support for a nationwide investigation, acknowledging ongoing concerns from all sides.
Farage referred to Gill as a “bad apple” within the party, expressing shock at the revelations given his previous perception of Gill as an upright individual. Gill, aged 52 and residing in Anglesey, North Wales, received payments exceeding £40,000 from former Ukrainian MP Oleg Voloshyn, reported to be a “pawn” of Russian intelligence agencies by the US government.
Rose Zussman, Senior Policy Manager at Transparency International UK, welcomed the government’s prompt review of foreign interference in UK politics, emphasizing the critical threat posed by hostile foreign actors to democracy. Zussman advocated for a donation cap in the forthcoming elections bill to curb the influence of substantial financial contributions on British politics, urging politicians to scrutinize donors’ backgrounds to prevent foreign entities from leveraging monetary influence on political decisions.