LONDON (AP) — Nathan Gill, a prominent hard-right politician in the U.K. and former associate of Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on Friday for accepting bribes linked to making favorable statements about Russia while serving as a member of the European Parliament (MEP). The 52-year-old Gill entered a guilty plea earlier this year to eight counts of bribery that occurred between December 2018 and July 2019. Authorities estimate that he received around 40,000 pounds (approximately $53,000) in bribes during this period.
Prosecutors revealed that Gill was approached by Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian politician with pro-Russia sentiments, to promote pro-Russian narratives concerning events in Ukraine both in the European Parliament and through opinion pieces in various media outlets, including 112 Ukraine. This bribery scheme predated Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a conflict that has seen the U.K. emerge as one of Ukraine's most steadfast allies.
During the sentencing at London's Central Criminal Court, known commonly as the Old Bailey, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb remarked that Gill had compromised his moral integrity for financial gain, stating that it was his duty as an elected official to act with “honesty and conviction.” The judge emphasized that when an elected representative agrees to say what they are paid to express, sincerity is lost.
Gill’s legal troubles began to escalate after he was apprehended at Manchester Airport in September 2021 while trying to travel to Russia. Subsequent investigations led to charges being filed against him in February of the current year. A forensic examination of his mobile phone unveiled communications between Gill and Voloshyn that contained coded references to their financial arrangements and suggested that Gill was also involved in persuading other MEPs to support Russia's position on Ukraine.
Initially elected to the European Parliament in 2014 as a member of the anti-EU U.K. Independence Party, which was then led by Nigel Farage, Gill later joined the Brexit Party, the successor of the U.K. Independence Party, and remained an MEP until the U.K.'s departure from the European Union in 2020. He also led the Welsh branch of Reform U.K. during the 2021 elections but has since distanced himself from the party, which currently leads in opinion polls in Britain.
The sentencing of Nathan Gill has reignited discussions surrounding potential Russian interference in British politics, with some politicians calling for a thorough investigation into the matter and any possible connections to Reform U.K. Ed Davey, leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats, declared that Gill's actions represented treasonous behavior, suggesting that Farage has previously displayed sympathies toward Russian interests by appearing on Russian state media and praising President Vladimir Putin.
In response to the scandal, Reform U.K. released a statement condemning Gill’s actions as “reprehensible, treasonous, and unforgivable,” expressing satisfaction that justice had been served. Farage has labeled Gill a “bad apple” within the party, indicating that any political organization may inadvertently harbor individuals who engage in unscrupulous acts.
Voloshyn, the alleged orchestrator of the bribery scheme, is believed to be residing in Russia and is wanted by law enforcement in both the U.K. and Ukraine. His involvement in the case raises further questions regarding the influence of foreign actors in British political affairs.
