Reform deputy leader Richard Tice under investigation over 'Israel debate'

Reform UK’s deputy leader is being investigated by parliamentary authorities for failing to declare an interest. Parliamentary commissioner for standards, Daniel Greenberg, confirmed Richard Tice was being investigated on Monday morning. The probe relates to the Boston and Skegness MP allegedly not declaring an interest when talking about Israel during a Westminster Hall debate.Mr Tice said that the investigation, which opened last week, relates to a complaint over “whether I should have referenced my register of interests at the start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence”. Without naming the group he was referring to, he wrote on X: “Contrary to garbage in media: Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence. “The same anti Israel group failed to notify Commissioner that Ayoub Khan MP did not declare his substantial donation received from a pro Palestine group. Funny that…..”.It comes after the standards watchdog last week declined to investigate a complaint made against Mr Tice over an undeclared loan of nearly £80,000 from convicted fraudster George Cottrell, who is a close ally of party leader Nigel Farage. Police launched an investigation into payments made to Reform UK by a company run by Mr Tice before the 2024 general election.