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Richard Tice: ‘The BBC and Met Police have treated me worse than a paedophile, a rapist or a murderer’

Richard Tice claims he has been treated “worse than a paedophile, a rapist or a murderer,” by the BBC and the Metropolitan Police.

The Reform UK deputy leader made his comments during an interview with Times Radio on Thursday (6 August), after host John Pienaar asked him about the party’s recent financial controversies.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating donations to Reform UK by a company controlled by Mr Tice. Britain Means Business, a fundraising vehicle, gave the party two donations of £250,000 in the run-up to the 2024 general election, according to The Times.

Mr Tice has previously outlined that the money was paid to his company by Reform donor Fiona Cottrell, who is said to have given £1 million to Britain Means Business in June 2024, and half of that money was then given to Reform.

Mr Tice said a BBC article was the first he had heard of police examining the transactions.

A Reform UK spokesperson said the party “takes pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always ensures that the Electoral Commission guidelines on donations, as set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, are strictly followed, as has been the case with donations so far.”

The Independent has approached the BBC and the Metropolitan Police for comment.