Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has authorised an urgent and wide-ranging review into the extent of foreign interference in British politics. The move comes in direct response to the jailing of a former political leader for accepting bribes to make pro-Russian statements.
Jailing of Politician Prompts Swift Action
The review was announced to the House of Commons on Tuesday 16 December 2025 by Communities Secretary Steve Reed. It is a direct reaction to the case of Nathan Gill, the former head of Reform UK in Wales. Gill was jailed for more than ten years in November after admitting he accepted tens of thousands of pounds in cash to make pro-Russian statements to the media and the European Parliament.
Security officers involved in the case believe some individuals linked to the bribes had a direct connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Reed told MPs that Gill's conduct was "a stain on our democracy" and promised the independent review would work to remove it.
Scope and Timeline of the Rycroft Review
The rapid inquiry will be led by Philip Rycroft, the former permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the European Union. It will conduct an in-depth assessment of current financial rules on political donations and election safeguards, focusing on how to better mitigate risks from foreign interference.
The review has been asked to report by the end of March 2025, a timeline of just twelve weeks. This publication date falls only five weeks before local elections in which Reform UK is anticipated to perform strongly. While Rycroft will have access to security services, he will not possess statutory powers to compel politicians to give evidence.
Notably, the terms of reference specifically exclude examining conduct around the 2016 Brexit referendum. Rycroft has been instructed to concentrate on more recent cases, though no specific start date has been set.
Potential Reforms and Political Fallout
The findings of the Rycroft review are expected to directly influence the upcoming Elections Bill, due in spring 2025, potentially leading to significant changes in how UK elections are financed.
Possible reforms under consideration include a clampdown on cryptocurrency donations and new rules for donations to thinktanks, which currently operate outside any formal regulatory regime. The review may also scrutinise the funding of overseas "troll farms" used in state disinformation campaigns and examine the use of UK trading subsidiaries by foreign donors.
The government has also highlighted the case of lawyer Christine Lee, accused of covertly working for the Chinese Communist Party, as another area of concern. However, opposition parties are likely to claim the review is an attempt to alter donation rules to benefit the Labour Party, especially following other contentious government decisions.
A spokesman for Reform UK stated they welcomed any investigation but insisted it must also scrutinise the actions of "communist China." The announcement is expected to ignite significant political criticism, particularly as Reform and the Conservative parties received substantially higher donations than Labour in the first three quarters of this year.
