Arron Banks Uses Private Investigators to Probe Conservative Party Chair

Arron Banks, the businessman and donor to Reform UK, commissioned the intelligence firm Precision Risk and Intelligence—previously owned by him—to investigate Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Party chair. The probe was first reported by the Mail on Sunday and confirmed by Banks in a later social-media exchange.

The Guardian

The investigation follows earlier reports that Banks hired the same firm to surveil Gabriel Pogrund, the Sunday Times investigations editor, and raised concerns that other journalists probing Reform UK and Farage could be targeted. The New Statesman previously quoted Banks saying he believed the Sunday Times used hacked information and that he maintained an “investigative arm” with advanced capabilities. The Sunday Times has denied these allegations.

The Guardian

Banks replied, “I’ve always come across people in this world who like to give it but can’t receive it.” When pressed about Reform UK’s knowledge of the surveillance, Banks suggested he acted alone, adding, “I row my own boat.” The News Media Association (NMA) chief executive Theo Bamber condemned the tactics as “an attack on our democracy” and warned that intimidation of journalists threatens independent reporting.

The Guardian

The NMA, representing regional and national media, described the use of private investigators to deter legitimate journalistic inquiry as a danger to democratic accountability. Bamber called for ministers to address the threat and protect independent journalism.

The Guardian

“I’ve always come across people in this world who like to give it but can’t receive it.” — Arron Banks

The Guardian