Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice has been accused of using “nasty tactics” in an attempt to intimidate journalists and deflect attention from his own financial affairs after issuing a legal threat to the Guardian. In a letter sent from his lawyers, a Guardian correspondent was singled out for her reporting on a series of Tice’s financial transactions that were referred to the National Crime Agency. Tice is now suing the NCA, claiming that the information could only have come from an officer within the agency.
In a separate letter to the Guardian, Tice’s lawyers made clear they would be seeking disclosure of documents that could reveal the details of sources. John Whittingdale, a former Conservative culture secretary, condemned the move. This betrays a failure to understand how important that principle is to journalism.” Margaret Hodge, the peer and former Labour MP and anti-corruption campaigner, said: “It is never acceptable for individuals to seemingly abuse our laws to silence investigative journalism and close down public criticism.
That’s why we need to urgently reform our laws to stop rich people using their wealth to close down legitimate scrutiny.” Jemimah Steinfeld, the chief executive at the Index on Censorship, added: “This has the appearance of an attempt to force a journalist to break the golden rule: that sources must be protected. The sources of such journalism are sacred. If the facts are incorrect, then they can be challenged, but the sources should not be chased down.
It is a nasty tactic and we should all be concerned.” Theo Bamber, the chief executive at the News Media Association, said that “robust protection for journalists’ sources is absolutely fundamental to ensuring that reporters can scrutinise authority and hold the powerful to account on behalf of the people impacted by their actions and decisions. The Guardian revealed in a series of detailed reports that Reform UK received a secret £1m donation via a fundraising vehicle run by Tice and a secret £5m gift made to Farage shortly before he announced he would stand in the 2024 general election. The Guardian also revealed that these and other transactions were reported by bankers to the National Crime Agency over fears they could involve laundered money.
Throughout its reports the Guardian has referred to financial industry sources. Tice has suggested in a document filed at the high court that the Guardian’s award-winning City editor, Anna Isaac, could not have had sources at multiple banks. In legal correspondence sent directly to Isaac, Tice’s lawyers suggested he is seeking to unmask sources based on his own assessment of the reporter’s work.
Farage has also issued proceedings against the NCA. A GNM spokesperson said: “Richard Tice’s legal threat against the Guardian appears to be a calculated attempt to deflect attention away from legitimate questions about his financial affairs and the funding of Reform UK. The Guardian described Farage’s claim as “absurd” and “an attempt to deflect attention from legitimate scrutiny of his financial affairs”.
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