英国自由民主党议员丽莎·斯玛特已将改革党副领导人理查德·蒂斯涉嫌未申报贷款一事提交议会标准监察员调查[1]。蒂斯在2024年12月收到来自乔治·科特雷尔的78,100英镑贷款，但未按规定向议会披露[1]。斯玛特在致监察员的信中指出，科特雷尔不仅是蒂斯的私人熟人，更是改革党和奈杰尔·法拉奇的官方顾问[1]。
蒂斯于2024年晚期当选波士顿和斯肯内斯议员后数月内获得这笔贷款[1]。据报道，蒂斯随后以80,000英镑偿还了该笔贷款，超额偿还1,900英镑[1]。蒂斯为自己辩护称，这些是公司贷款，与政治无关，相关股份和董事职位已充分申报[1]。科特雷尔曾于2017年因美国电信诈骗罪被定罪[1]，这引发了对贷款来源的质疑。
法拉奇本人因未申报来自加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈博恩的500万英镑礼物而遭调查[1]。由于法拉奇不再是议员，该调查已暂停[1]。
A Liberal Democrat MP has referred Reform Party deputy leader Richard Tice to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over an undisclosed £78,100 loan received in December 2024[1]. The funds were provided by George Cottrell, an aide to Nigel Farage, shortly after Tice was elected as MP for Boston and Skegness[1].
The referral, made by Lisa Smart MP, raises concerns that Tice may have breached parliamentary conduct rules by failing to declare the loan as required[1]. Cottrell has a controversial background, having been convicted of telecommunications fraud in the United States in 2017[1]. Smart's letter to the Standards Commissioner noted that Cottrell is not merely Tice's personal acquaintance but serves as an official advisor to the Reform Party and Farage[1]. Tice later repaid the loan with an overpayment of £1,900, settling it at £80,000[1].
Tice has disputed the allegations, asserting that "these are corporate loans unrelated to politics, and shareholdings and directorships have been properly declared"[1]. The investigation comes amid separate scrutiny of Farage, who is under investigation for receiving an undisclosed £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne, though that inquiry has been suspended following Farage's departure from Parliament[1].