ELS; MBN360 UK
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice has come under fresh scrutiny after the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened an investigation into allegations that he failed to declare a relevant financial interest during parliamentary proceedings.
The latest development marks another challenging moment for Reform UK, which has faced mounting criticism in recent weeks over transparency, political donations and standards in public office.
It also comes as party leader Nigel Farage remains the subject of a separate parliamentary investigation concerning his declaration of financial gifts, placing both the leader and deputy leader of the party under formal scrutiny by the Commons watchdog.
Shortly after the probe became public, Tice attempted to refute the accusations, claiming that the complaint had been politically driven rather than founded on any serious violation of parliamentary norms.
“Contrary to garbage in media: Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence. The same anti Israel group failed to notify Commissioner that Ayoub Khan MP did not declare his substantial donation received from a pro Palestine group.”Richard Tice
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has not commented publicly on Tice’s claims or the source of the complaint, in keeping with the office’s normal practice while investigations remain ongoing.
The inquiry follows another complaint involving Tice that was dismissed only days earlier. That earlier allegation centred on claims that he had failed to declare an almost £80,000 loan from George Cottrell, a businessman and longtime associate of Nigel Farage who was previously convicted of fraud-related offences in the United States.
Tice celebrated the decision not to pursue that case, writing online that the complaint had been “so stupid” that the commissioner had “thrown it out in under 24 hours.”
However, the timing of that post drew attention after it emerged that the separate investigation into his alleged failure to declare an interest had already been opened the previous day.
Labour Seizes on Tice Investigation as Pressure Mounts on Reform UK
The announcement of the investigation prompted an immediate political response from Labour, which argued that the latest inquiry reinforced concerns about standards within Reform UK’s leadership.
A Labour Party spokesperson accused the party of repeatedly failing to meet expectations of transparency and accountability.
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“The Reform sleaze scandals continue to pile up. Richard Tice is now under investigation by the Standards Commissioner, on top of his firm avoiding paying £600,000 in tax. This means that both Reform’s leader and deputy leader now have standards investigations hanging over them.”
He added, “with police probes, Nigel Farage’s secret £5 million gift, and reports of funding from a convicted fraudster – it’s clear Reform think the rules just don’t apply to them.”
The latest investigation adds to continuing scrutiny surrounding Nigel Farage, who is himself being investigated by Commissioner Daniel Greenberg over whether he breached Commons rules by failing to declare a £5 million donation from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne after becoming an MP in 2024.
Questions surrounding gifts linked to George Cottrell have also intensified political pressure on the Reform UK leader, even as Farage has rejected suggestions of wrongdoing.
Farage recently announced his resignation as MP for Clacton in order to contest the resulting by-election, describing the contest as an opportunity to pit “the people” against the political establishment.
That move, however, has received a mixed reception. Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have all confirmed that they will not field candidates, arguing that the by-election represents a political stunt rather than a necessary democratic exercise.
The latest parliamentary investigations arrive at a time when Reform UK is facing increasing political headwinds. Recent opinion polling has suggested that public support for the party has weakened, with Nigel Farage’s approval ratings reportedly falling to their lowest level since the 2024 general election.
Although neither Tice nor Farage has been found to have breached parliamentary rules, the existence of simultaneous investigations involving the party’s two most senior figures raises concerns over Reform UK’s commitment to transparency and ethical standards.
For Richard Tice, the immediate challenge will be convincing both Parliament and the public that his handling of declarations complied fully with Commons requirements. For Reform UK, meanwhile, the investigations risk overshadowing its political agenda at a time when the party is seeking to strengthen its position ahead of future electoral contests.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is expected to continue examining the allegations before determining whether any breach of the House of Commons’ Code of Conduct has occurred. Until that process is completed, no conclusions have been reached regarding Tice’s conduct, and the investigation remains ongoing.
