Deputy head of UK right-wing party probed by ‘antisemitic’ watchdog for not declaring pro-Israel interest

The deputy leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party, Richard Tice, is under investigation over a possible failure to declare an interest, a parliamentary watchdog says, three months after it opened an inquiry into the party’s leader.

Tice says on X that the investigation is over whether he should have declared the interest at the start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence, and says it is based on a complaint by an “antisemitic anti-Israel lobby group.” Tice’s list of registered interests includes a trip to Israel last September.

Contrary to garbage in media:

I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.

Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of…

— Richard Tice MP ???????? (@TiceRichard) August 3, 2026

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards does not go into details on the investigation, but says it relates to rule six of the parliamentary code of conduct, which states:

“Members [of parliament] must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its Committees, and in any communications with Ministers, Members, public officials or public office holders.”

An investigation by the commissioner does not mean that rules have been broken.

The watchdog launched an investigation into the populist party’s leader, Nigel Farage, in May over a £5 million ($6.73 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire, then paused the probe after Farage resigned his parliamentary seat in July.

When he quit and announced plans to stand again for his seat, Farage said the establishment was bent on discrediting him over accusations about his finances.

British police are also investigating at least £500,000 ($673,000) in donations to the Reform UK party, which Tice has said is part of a “politically motivated smear campaign.”

Reform UK had been leading in the polls for more than a year until last week, when a number of polls suggested the governing Labour Party had caught up or even retaken the lead, reflecting a bounce for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.