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Former Reform UK MEP Nathan Gill jailed over cash-for‑pro‑Russia scheme

Nathan Gill, 52, a former Reform UK MEP, was sentenced to 10½ years after admitting he accepted tens of thousands of pounds between December 2018 and July 2019 to make pro‑Russian statements. Investigators found messages and payments while stopping Gill at Manchester airport in September 2021, including a €5,000 transfer linked to comments on a pro‑Russian TV channel. Political leaders condemned the conduct as a betrayal of public trust and national security.

01:42 AM, 11/22/2025Security
Former Reform UK MEP Nathan Gill jailed over cash-for‑pro‑Russia scheme

Nathan Gill, a former senior figure in the Reform UK party, has been sentenced to 10½ years at London’s Central Criminal Court after admitting he accepted tens of thousands of pounds in cash to make pro‑Russian statements while serving as a Member of the European Parliament.

Court documents state the payments, described by Gill and his intermediary as “Christmas gifts,” were made between December 2018 and July 2019. In return, Gill made a series of pro‑Russian speeches and public comments in the European Parliament and appeared on pro‑Russian media outlets.

The offending was uncovered after Gill was stopped at Manchester airport on 13 September 2021 while preparing to travel to Russia. A forensic review of his phone revealed message exchanges with Oleg Voloshyn, a Ukrainian national with pro‑Russian ties who had served in Kyiv government roles before 2014 and was later sanctioned by the UK.

One set of messages shows Voloshyn transferring €5,000 to Gill for comments made on a pro‑Russian television channel. Separate messages indicate Voloshyn promised to “fairly reward” Gill if he persuaded colleagues to attend a Strasbourg presentation by pro‑Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk about the Donbas conflict; Gill replied he could “drag a few to attend.”

Delivering sentence at the Old Bailey, Mrs Justice Cheema‑Grubb said Gill’s conduct was “persistent, rather than an isolated lapse of judgment.”

Gill briefly led Reform UK Wales from March to May 2021 and managed the party’s 2021 campaign for the Welsh Parliament; he is no longer a member of the party. At the time the offences took place he was an MEP, originally elected for the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Political reactions were swift. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he had no knowledge of Gill’s conduct and condemned it in the strongest terms. Britain’s Security Minister described Gill’s actions as a betrayal of national security, saying he had used his public office to advance the malign interests of another country in exchange for money.

Why this matters

The case highlights the risks of covert foreign influence on elected officials and the methods used to conceal payments and influence public statements. The sentence underscores that exchanging public office for foreign rewards is treated as a serious threat to democratic institutions and national security.

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