Farage urged to investigate Reform after Nathan Gill receives long jail term for Russia bribes

Nigel Farage faces renewed political pressure after Nathan Gill, a former senior figure in Reform UK, received a ten year sentence for accepting payments from a pro Kremlin agent. Gill admitted that he took money to deliver statements that supported Russian interests while he served as a Member of the European Parliament.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the case raised urgent questions about oversight inside Reform UK. He argued that Farage must examine how Gill rose to a leading role while receiving secret funds from abroad and that every aspect of the party should be reviewed for further links to Russia.

Prosecutors told the court that Gill accepted at least thirty thousand pounds from Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian MP who is alleged to be an asset of Russian intelligence. The payments coincided with Gill’s period in the European Parliament from twenty eighteen to twenty nineteen. He had first been elected under UKIP leadership before later joining the Brexit party.

Investigators stated that Gill produced public statements that matched material supplied by his contact. These included remarks in the European Parliament and appearances on the channel known as one one two Ukraine. The content regularly aligned with narratives that supported Russian positions in the period before the full scale invasion of Ukraine in twenty twenty two.

The case widened when it became clear that Gill had also been paid to arrange for other MEPs to make similar statements. The court heard that Steven Woolfe, William Dartmouth, Jonathan Arnott and Jonathan Bullock delivered remarks after Gill encouraged them to do so. David Coburn also appeared in messages between Gill and his handler. Investigators stressed that there is no evidence any of these figures received money and that they were not aware of Gill’s arrangement.

Correspondence recovered from Gill’s phone showed repeated praise from senior pro Kremlin figures. Voloshyn relayed comments from Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, who described the interventions by British MEPs as impressive.

Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb told Gill that he had betrayed the trust placed in him by voters and by the institutions in which he served. She said he had spoken with the voice of a foreign sponsor rather than with independent judgement.

Farage rejected any suggestion that the case reflected deeper problems inside Reform UK. He said Gill was a single bad apple and insisted that the party had already condemned his actions. Reform UK released a statement describing Gill’s behaviour as reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable and said that it welcomed the court’s decision.

Labour continued to demand that Farage conduct a full review of his party. Starmer said that every area including membership, party donors and internal structures should be examined. He argued that Farage should investigate how the situation occurred on his watch and what other links between Reform UK and Russia might exist.

Farage responded by accusing Labour of ignoring its own issues and suggested that the prime minister should investigate alleged links between Labour figures and Chinese interests. He claimed recent events related to espionage raised concerns that required attention.

The Conservative party called on Farage to explain his relationship with Gill. It said Farage needed to clarify whether others in Reform UK had ever taken part in similar activity. The Liberal Democrats released political adverts that accused Farage of being close to Russian influence.

Police said they did not know the full amount Gill received but confirmed that they seized cash from his home and intercepted messages when he was stopped at Manchester airport in twenty twenty one. They said the messages used coded language but clearly showed a regular pattern of collaboration.

The case has raised significant political questions and placed Reform UK under intense scrutiny. It remains uncertain whether further inquiries will reveal wider connections or whether the matter will remain confined to Gill’s actions.