LONDON: Britain´s government launched an investigation into foreign interference in UK politics on Tuesday after an ex-member of the hard-right Reform UK party was jailed for taking Russian bribes.
Nathan Gill was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month after admitting having been paid around £40,000 ($53,000) to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.
“This conduct is a stain on our democracy. The independent review will work to remove that stain,” local government minister Steve Reed told parliament as he announced the probe.
Gill was an MEP from 2014 to 2020. He was a member of the Eurosceptic UKIP party, including when it was led by current Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Gill was also briefly leader of Reform UK Wales in 2021.
The anti-immigrant Reform party presently leads Prime Minister Keir Starmer´s ruling Labour party in opinion polls, although the next general election is not expected until 2029. Reed said the review would be led by a former senior civil servant, who is expected to report his findings by March next year.
The minister added that cryptocurrency donations and attempted Chinese influence would both be in the probe´s “scope”.
