Three more Farage MEPs 'followed a pro-Russia script' - CPS

Three more MEPs from Nigel Farage’s bloc are alleged to have “followed the script” given to a colleague who was being bribed by an alleged Russian asset, according to prosecutors.

- Ben Quinn Steven Morris

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has named Jonathan Bullock, Julia Reid and Steven Woolfe, saying they followed the script provided to Nathan Gill by Oleg Voloshyn when giving interviews to 112 Ukraine, a pro-Russian channel in March 2019.

At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or the Brexit party are known to have been the focus of efforts by Gill, Reform UK’s former Wales leader, to co-opt them into fulfilling tasks set by his Kremlin paymasters.

The claims - disclosed in CPS documents in Gill’s case - have raised fresh questions over the extent of Gill’s influence since his jailing last month. There is no suggestion that any of the three committed criminal acts or had been aware Gill took bribes to promote Russian interests.

Amid a continuing police investigation, the Labour party has called on Farage to offer to help investigators, who have already spoken to MEPs he led in the European parliament as part of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group.