According to a report available to New Daily Prime, the UK government has announced an independent inquiry into the influence of foreign money on British politics, following growing concerns about attempts by hostile states to undermine democracy.
The review comes after Nathan Gill, a former senior figure in Reform UK, was jailed for 10 years for accepting bribes from a pro-Kremlin agent while acting on behalf of the Russian state.
His conviction has intensified scrutiny of foreign financial interference in domestic politics, particularly from Russia and China.
The government-commissioned inquiry will examine whether the UK’s political finance laws are robust enough to detect and prevent foreign influence. It will assess existing safeguards against illicit funding, including the use of cryptocurrencies, and review the rules governing political parties as well as the enforcement powers of the Electoral Commission.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the case had exposed serious vulnerabilities. Addressing MPs, he said a British politician had taken bribes to advance the interests of the Russian regime, calling the conduct a stain on our democracy.
“This independent review will help us remove that stain and strengthen the protections around our democratic system,” he said.
The inquiry will be led by Philip Rycroft, a former permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, and is expected to conclude by the end of March 2026.
Read the related story from New Daily Prime: Ex-Reform UK leader Gill jailed for pro-Russia bribes
Its findings will inform a forthcoming elections and democracy bill ahead of the next general election.
Meanwhile the review will focus on the post-Brexit period, rather than revisiting allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 EU referendum, a decision likely to disappoint some campaigners.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, welcomed the inquiry following Gill’s conviction, describing the former MEP as a bad apple and condemning his actions as “reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable”.
However, Farage has rejected calls for an internal investigation into possible links between his party and Russia.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Farage had questions to answer, particularly as Reform UK continues to perform strongly in opinion polls.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the inquiry would strengthen the UK’s ability to detect and deter covert interference.
He added that protecting national security remained a top priority and warned that the government would not tolerate individuals who traded national interests for personal gain.
The review forms part of a wider government effort to counter foreign interference, including a new action plan aimed at disrupting espionage and political meddling by states such as Russia and China. Measures include enhanced security briefings for political parties, guidance for election candidates, and cooperation with professional networking platforms to make them less attractive to foreign intelligence operatives.
Previous attempts to force a fresh inquiry into Russian interference in the Brexit referendum were rejected by the European Court of Human Rights, which noted that the UK had already carried out multiple investigations and passed new national security legislation in response to the issue.
Read the related story from New Daily Prime: www.newdailyprime.news