Arron Banks Accused of Hiring Private Investigators to Spy on Sunday Times Journalist

Investigative reporting by Gabriel Pogrund, editor of the *Sunday Times* Insight team, exposed financial links between Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and convicted criminal George Cottrell. The *New Statesman* reported that Arron Banks—a prominent Reform UK donor—directed his former private-investigation firm, Precision Risk and Intelligence, to surveil Pogrund. Banks did not deny the allegation; when asked whether he had paid investigators to look into the journalist, he replied, “When you live by the sword, you die by the sword.”

The Guardian

Banks co-founded the pro-Brexit Leave EU campaign and stood as Reform UK’s candidate in the 2025 West of England mayoral election. Reform UK has faced scrutiny over donations, including a £5 million gift to Farage from billionaire Christopher Harborne and transfers linked to the Cottrell family. The *Guardian* and *Sunday Times* have published stories detailing these financial flows, prompting further investigation into the party’s funding.

The Guardian

• Arron Banks told the *New Statesman* that he believed the *Sunday Times* had used “hacked information” and that his “investigative arm” possessed “advanced capabilities.”

The Guardian

• A Reform UK spokesperson said the party had no knowledge of, nor had it sanctioned, any surveillance of Pogrund.

The Guardian

• The *Sunday Times* called the alleged hiring “reprehensible” and asserted that its reporting was based on “responsible and professional journalism.”

The Guardian

• “Investigating a journalist can only be intended to have a chilling effect on free speech.” — Lisa Smart, Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson

The Guardian

• Jemimah Steinfeld, chief executive of Index on Censorship, called for full transparency about any surveillance of journalists.

The Guardian

Banks’ comments stop short of confirming payment for the surveillance; he neither admits nor fully denies commissioning the investigators, stating only that he has “nothing else to add.” Reform UK denies any knowledge or sanction of the probe, while the *New Statesman* and *Guardian* attribute the directive to Banks personally. Independent verification is lacking, leaving the precise extent of the surveillance unclear.

The Guardian

• “When you live by the sword, you die by the sword.” — Jemimah Steinfeld, Index on Censorship

The Guardian

• “If what Mr Banks claims to have done is true then it is reprehensible that his reaction to our reporting is to place a journalist under surveillance … This story was not based on hacked information. It was based on responsible and professional journalism.” — Lisa Smart, Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokesperson

The Guardian

Reform UK’s finances continue to be examined by the Metropolitan Police, and the National Crime Agency has issued a suspicious-activity report concerning donations linked to the Cottrell family. No arrests have been made, and further inquiries may reveal additional connections between political financing and attempts to suppress journalistic investigation.

The Guardian