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2w ago

Ex‑MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Pro‑Russia Bribes as Police Probe Wider Targeting

Prosecutors cast the £40,000 cash‑for‑statements scheme as a breach of democratic integrity with national‑security implications.

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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 21: Nathan Gill, MEP for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, arrives for sentencing at Old Bailey in London, United Kingdom on November 21, 2025. Gill, who went on to become leader of Reform UK in Wales, is facing prison for taking money from an alleged 'pawn' of the main security agency in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Gill was paid thousands of pounds to give TV interviews in favour of a key Putin ally and to make speeches in the European Parliament between December 2018 and July 2019. Gill admitted eight counts of bribery. (Photo by Ilyas Tayfun Salci/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Nathan Gill, 52, received a 10½‑year sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to eight bribery counts for paid pro‑Russian statements made while he was an MEP.
  • Court evidence showed WhatsApp scripts from Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn, payments typically around €5,000 per task, and appearances for outlets such as 112 Ukraine linked to Viktor Medvedchuk.
  • The scheme was uncovered after a 13 September 2021 stop at Manchester Airport, when police seized Gill’s phone and later found bundles of euros and dollars during a home search.
  • Met Counter Terrorism Command says inquiries continue into whether other former MEPs were targeted, with messages showing Gill offered to involve colleagues, while police confirm Nigel Farage is not under investigation.
  • Political fallout intensified as officials condemned a grave breach of trust, Reform UK disowned Gill’s actions, and leaders called for further probes into foreign interference in UK politics.