Politics Reform UK Richard tice

Richard Tice’s claim that Reform’s disputed donations come from a ‘successful aristocratic family’ he’s known for 50 years might not be the anti-establishment gotcha he intended

Oonagh Keating. Updated July 10th, 2026

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Just when you thought the £5 million crypto gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne might be the undoing of Nigel Farage, along comes a convicted fraudster named George Cottrell with a ‘hold my beer’ moment.

The 32-year-old, known as ‘Posh George’, provided security, accommodation, transport, and staff wages for Nigel Farage in the year before he finally won a seat in the House of Commons, but Farage failed to declare any of that to Parliament.

Further digging by the Times unearthed information that Cottrell had given out business cards featuring his own name and Nigel Farage’s email address, had been introduced to people as Farage’s chief of staff, and that the Met Police are investigating £500,000 in donations made to Reform by Fiona Cottrell – George’s mother.

Reform’s circle of friends, supporters, and bots has tried to paint the reporting as an attempted smear by the Establishment against the Dulwich College-educated, former commodities broker who owns at least five houses outright, and is apparenty randomly gifted £5 million for Ferraris, or whatever.

Richard Tice spoke to Times Radio, insisting that it was all above board, because he knows the Cottrell family very well.

This is what he said.

“I’ve known the Cottrell family, my family have known the Cottrell family and the broader Hesketh family for 50 years. A very successful aristocratic family, and, you know, that’s, erm, as far as I’m concerned, she is a permissible donor, and that’s the end of it.”

“This is about the Establishment trying to kill off a disruptive political party and our leadership. That’s what this is about.”

The Establishment versus the Dulwich alumnus, his privately-educated multi-millionaire deputy, and their successful aristocratic donors. Got it.

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In other news, we seem to remember Richard Tice being very vocal about a house Angela Rayner sold in 2010. Must have been a different Richard Tice.

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The Met is investigating £500k in payments to Reform by the mother of their convicted fraudster donor, and the internet grabbed the popcorn – 17 savage reactions

Source Times Radio Image Screengrab