Ex-Reform leader jailed over £40k pro-Russian bribes

Former leader in Wales sentenced to 10-and-a-half years after admitting accepting payments to make statements in the European Parliament

- BY EMILY PENNINK AND ROD MINCHIN, PA

The custody photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of ex-Reform UK leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, 52, of Anglesey, North Wales, who has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years

(METROPOLITAN POLICE/PA WIRE)

THE former leader of Reform UK in Wales has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after he was paid £40,000 to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament in a "grave betrayal" of the British public.

Nathan Gill, 52, of Anglesey, North Wales, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery on dates between December 6 2018 and July 18 2019.

Sentencing him on Friday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: "Parliamentarians wield significant influence over public and political discourse.

"It is incumbent upon them to speak with honesty and conviction, irrespective of whether their views are met with approval or dissent.

"When you say what someone has paid you to say, you are not speaking with sincerity. If it were your genuine opinion, you would not need to be paid for saying it."

She told Gill that allowing money to corrupt his "moral compass" amounted to "a grave betrayal of the trust vested in you by the electorate".

She added: "Your misconduct has ramifications far beyond personal honour, which is now irretrievably damaged. It erodes public confidence in democracy itself."

Gill made no reaction as he was sent down from the dock at the Old Bailey to begin his sentence.

At the time of the offences, Gill was a member of the European Parliament, having been originally elected for the UK Independence Party (Ukip).

His activities included making pro-Russian statements about events in Ukraine in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine.