Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and ex-Member of the European Parliament (MEP), was sentenced at the Old Bailey on November 21, 2025, to ten and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to bribery. The conviction, which marks a significant moment in British political history, has sent shockwaves through Westminster and reignited fierce debate about foreign interference in UK politics.
According to reporting from multiple outlets including The Guardian and BBC, Gill admitted to taking around £40,000 in bribes between December 2018 and July 2019. The payments were made in exchange for Gill delivering pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament and participating in interviews favorable to Kremlin interests. The prosecution revealed that the ultimate source of the funds was Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician and a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Medvedchuk’s involvement, as described by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, underscores the direct connection between Gill’s actions and Russian efforts to manipulate Western political discourse.
The bribery scheme began after Gill’s October 2018 trip to Ukraine, where he visited pro-Russian TV channels 112 Ukraine and NewsOne. He was accompanied by fellow MEPs David Coburn and Jonathan Arnott. In the weeks that followed, all three men made remarkably similar statements in the European Parliament, with Gill reading from a script agreed upon with intermediary Oleg Voloshyn. For this offense alone, Gill received a five-year sentence as part of the total term.
WhatsApp exchanges presented in court showed Gill and Voloshyn discussing payments, with messages suggesting that funds were also intended for other MEPs. In one exchange, Gill asked, “I’m seeing D in morning. How much was for him?” to which Voloshyn replied, “6.5”, adding a smiley face. Voloshyn later clarified, “And other 2 for David you have already with you.” The prosecution argued that these messages indicated concurrent payments to two other MEPs, though no charges have been brought against Coburn or Arnott and both deny any wrongdoing. The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, led by Dominic Murphy, confirmed that several former British MEPs are under investigation, but no further arrests or charges have been made to date.
Gill’s conviction has brought the issue of foreign interference in British politics into sharp focus. Duncan Hames, director of policy at Transparency International, commented, “That Gill is the first UK politician to be charged under the Bribery Act marks a significant moment in our understanding of foreign interference threats. This prosecution underscores the very real danger that hostile states and their proxies pose to our democratic processes, and the relatively small amounts of money it took to gain influence within our political system.”
The political fallout has been swift and intense. Reform UK’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, appeared on Sky News and described Gill as “ancient history,” emphasizing that he had never met Gill and that the former leader’s actions should not “besmirch” the party or its millions of supporters. “Nathan Gill, what he did was treasonous. It was horrific. It was awful. He's now been dealt with by the authorities. He deserves the sentence that he's gotten. But as you've just said, this is a guy which, far as we're concerned, is ancient history,” Yusuf stated.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer seized on the scandal, challenging Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to launch an internal investigation into the party’s Russian links. Speaking at the G20 Summit in South Africa, Starmer said, “Nigel Farage, he often has a lot to say. What he needs to do is to launch an investigation into his party to understand how that happened. This is a serious sentence that has been imposed, over 10 years. It's a very serious issue. How did that happen, that this was happening in his party? And what other links are there between Reform and Russia?”
Farage, for his part, deflected the criticism, suggesting that Starmer should instead investigate Labour’s connections with the Chinese Communist Party. Reform UK, in an official statement, condemned Gill’s actions as “reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable,” adding, “We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received.” Senior party sources expressed hope that Gill’s brief 42-day tenure as leader in 2021 would limit the damage to the party’s reputation and Farage’s personal brand.
However, calls for deeper scrutiny have only grown louder. Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, criticized Yusuf’s remarks as “deeply troubling,” stating, “Labelling Nathan Gill as 'ancient history', despite these events unfolding less than five years ago, is a cynical attempt to sweep a politically-threatening truth under the carpet. Nathan Gill was not some distant footnote in Reform UK's evolution. He was a trusted ally of Nigel Farage.” Saville Roberts urged Reform UK to support a full investigation into Russian interference in British politics.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also weighed in, highlighting Farage’s previous paid appearances on Russia Today, the Kremlin-backed television channel. “A traitor was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting a foreign adversary. Nigel Farage and his party are a danger to national security. Nigel Farage himself was previously paid to be on Putin's TV channel, Russia Today, and said he was the world leader he admires the most. We must all ask – where do his loyalties really lie? We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics,” Davey said.
The case has exposed the vulnerability of Western democracies to foreign influence. According to The Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin himself reportedly praised Gill’s recruitment of MEPs for pro-Kremlin TV interviews, underscoring the Kremlin’s satisfaction with the success of its influence operations. The bribery scheme, facilitated by Oleg Voloshyn and ultimately funded by Medvedchuk, demonstrates how relatively modest sums can compromise elected officials and erode public trust in democratic institutions.
Gill’s trajectory—from UK Independence Party member, to Brexit Party stalwart, to a brief stint as Reform UK’s leader in Wales—serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of political opportunism and the ease with which foreign actors can exploit personal ambition for strategic gain. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, in sentencing Gill, remarked that he had abused his position and eroded “public confidence in democracy.” Gill admitted to eight counts of bribery, covering a period from December 6, 2018, to July 18, 2019.
As the investigation continues, the scandal remains a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by foreign interference, and the challenges facing political parties, law enforcement, and the public in safeguarding the integrity of British democracy. The coming months will reveal whether further charges follow—and whether the political system can adapt to confront these evolving dangers.
