LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – A former senior ally of Nigel Farage, Nathan Gill, who once led the Reform UK party in Wales, was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison on Friday, 21st November 2025, for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives. The landmark case, which provides a concrete example of Moscow's efforts to influence European politics, has intensified scrutiny of Reform UK's stance on Russia and triggered calls for a wider investigation into foreign interference in British democracy.

Gill, 52, was sentenced at London's Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey, after pleading guilty in September to eight counts of bribery. The court found that between December 2018 and July 2019, while serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Gill accepted payments estimated to be at least £30,000 to £40,000. These payments were in exchange for making pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament and to media outlets.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that Gill had "abused a position of significant authority and trust" and that his actions constituted a "grave betrayal of the trust vested in you by the electorate". The judge concluded that Gill's conduct, motivated by financial gain, had "fundamentally compromised the integrity of a supranational legislative body".

The Kremlin Connection

The bribery scheme was orchestrated by Oleg Voloshyn, a former pro-Russian Ukrainian Member of Parliament. Voloshyn, who is now believed to be in Moscow, has been sanctioned by the United States and is wanted for high treason in Ukraine. Evidence presented in court included WhatsApp messages between Gill and Voloshyn, which used coded language like "promised X-mas gifts" to refer to payments. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, uncovered that Gill was tasked with advancing narratives advantageous to Russian interests, particularly concerning Ukraine in the period leading up to the full-scale invasion in 2022. The ultimate source of the funds was identified as Viktor Medvedchuk, a wealthy Ukrainian oligarch and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The case came to light after Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13th September 2021, while attempting to travel to Russia. A search of his phone revealed the incriminating communications.

Implications for Reform UK and Farage

The conviction has placed Nigel Farage and Reform UK under considerable political pressure. Farage, who has led the party in its various forms (UKIP, Brexit Party, and Reform UK), described his former associate Gill as a "bad apple" who betrayed his country. However, critics point to Farage's own past statements and associations as having fostered an environment receptive to pro-Kremlin views. Farage famously named Putin as the world leader he most admired "as an operator" in 2014 and has repeatedly argued that Western expansion of NATO and the EU "provoked" the war in Ukraine.

Reform UK issued a statement describing Gill's actions as "reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable," welcoming the prison sentence. Despite this disavowal, political opponents have seized on the connection. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey labelled the case a matter of national security, stating, "A traitor was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting a foreign adversary." Calls for a full, independent investigation into Russian influence within Reform UK and British politics more broadly have been made by senior figures, including Armed Forces Minister Al Carns.

Broader Context: Russian Interference

The Gill case is one of the most direct pieces of evidence of Russia's strategy to cultivate influence within nationalist and Eurosceptic parties across Europe, which often share Moscow's hostility towards institutions like the EU and NATO. For years, intelligence agencies and researchers have documented Russian interference through disinformation, cyber activities, and illicit financing. The UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, in a 2020 report, described Russian influence in the UK as "the new normal," though it did not find conclusive evidence of interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

The sentencing of Nathan Gill provides a stark example of how such influence can translate from covert online campaigns to the direct corruption of an elected official. As the UK continues to be a key supporter of Ukraine, the case underscores the ongoing threat of hostile state activity and the challenge of safeguarding democratic processes from foreign interference. Further investigations are now being demanded to determine the full extent of Moscow's reach into British politics.