Convicted fraudster was introduced as Farage’s chief of staff, says ex-Reform candidate

George Cottrell was routinely introduced as Nigel Farage’s chief of staff before the 2024 election despite denials that he had any official role, according to a Reform UK candidate who stood aside for the party leader.Others who have been closely involved in the party have also claimed Cottrell arranged the Land Rovers that ferried Reform’s newly elected MPs to parliament, and that he covered the cost of a fundraising lunch with potential donors before the national vote.Questions about the role of Cottrell – who is a convicted fraudster – and the extent to which he has provided undeclared support for Farage have been building over the past week as the Reform leader comes under unprecedented pressure.On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed that a loan from Cottrell to Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, was highlighted by bankers in suspicious activity reports. SARs are a way to raise concerns with the National Crime Agency; they are not proof of wrongdoing but flags for further investigation.Among other SARs about transactions involving Reform was one relating to a £1m donation from Cottrell’s mother, Fiona, to Britain Means Business, a fundraising organisation for the party. The Guardian understands bank staff were not satisfied that the funds had ultimately come from her.The Times reported this week that Cottrell had given out a business card with his name on and an official email address for Farage and had provided security, accommodation and staffing for the Reform leader before the election.Tony Mack, who was initially Reform’s candidate for the Essex constituency of Clacton in 2024, told the Guardian that Cottrell was introduced as Farage’s chief of staff during meetings.Nigel Farage and George Cottrell in Clacton before the election of June 2024. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian“I remember thinking that it was an odd term to use for someone who was unelected at that point,” said Mack, a psychotherapist and charity worker.Mack has previously alleged that Farage went back on a deal that would have given him a role in the party in return for stepping aside to allow the leader to run in Clacton.Mack recalled Cottrell as being “polite and cordial” and echoed long-repeated claims that the younger man sometimes referred to Farage, who is no relation, as “daddy”.A Reform spokesperson said: “George Cottrell has no official role in Reform UK, nor has he previously held any official role. He has never been a party employee, he is an unpaid volunteer like many thousands of party members.”skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe party did not address other claims put to it by the Guardian, including that Cottrell arranged for the Land Rovers that took Farage and the four other Reform MPs to Westminster on 9 July after the election. Lawyers for Cottrell did not respond to a request for comment.Another source said Cottrell covered the cost of a lunch at the French restaurant Saint Jacques in the St James’s district of London in December 2024, where Farage met potential donors. The event, held in a private backroom, was reported at the time by the Daily Mail, which said Nick Candy, Reform’s honorary treasurer, was in attendance.Figures including Labour’s chair, Anna Turley, have urged electoral authorities to probe allegations that donations from Cottrell were not declared by Farage, who is under investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over a £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.In 2016, Cottrell was charged with 21 offences for his alleged role in a “dark money” laundering scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and spent time in prison in Arizona, though he is seeking a pardon from Donald Trump.Reform acknowledged on Sunday that gifts had been received from Cottrell but said they had been personal gifts to Farage unconnected to his political activities and did not need to be disclosed.