Starmer demands investigation into Reform-Russia links after party's ex-Wales leader jailed

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded an investigation into links between Reform UK and Russia following the jailing of the party's former Wales leader for accepting pro-Russian bribes.

Speaking to Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby at the G20 summit in South Africa, the prime minister said Nigel Farage "needs to launch an investigation into his party to understand how that happened".

He said a probe should also consider "what other links are there between Reform and Russia".

"[Nigel Farage] needs to deal with this pro-Russian bribery. It's not just a serious criminal offence, it undermines our country.

"It's serious. The first duty of a prime minister, of a leader, is to keep our country safe. So, he needs to launch that investigation."

Nathan Gill was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after he was paid £40,000 to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.

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

He led Reform UK's 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign but is no longer a member of the party.

Responding to his sentencing, a Reform UK spokesman said: "Mr Gill's actions were reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable.

"We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received."

Police have confirmed Mr Farage has not been part of the investigation.

Mr Farage, the Reform UK MP for Clacton, had previously described his former colleague as a "bad apple" and said he was "shocked" after Gill pleaded guilty to bribery.

He said: "Any political party can find in their midst all sorts of terrible people.

"You can never, ever guarantee 100% that everyone you meet in your life, you shake hands with in the pub, is a good person."

Sentencing Gill, Justice Cheema-Grubb said that he had allowed money to corrupt his "moral compass" in "a grave betrayal of the trust vested in you by the electorate".

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

Gill's 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.

The architect of the bribes was Oleg Voloshyn, 44, a former pro-Russian Ukrainian MP, who with his wife was connected to 112 Ukraine.

The television channel was owned by wealthy pro-Russian Ukrainian Victor Medvedchuk, 71, who was a close ally of Vladimir Putin and the ultimate source of requests and money that Gill received.

Other politicians have also called for Mr Farage to launch a probe into Russian interference after Gill's sentencing.

Armed forces minister Al Carns said: "Nigel Farage must urgently initiate an independent investigation into every inch of Reform UK's party structures, membership, donors, and representatives, to give the public a cast-iron guarantee that any remaining pro-Russian links have been removed from his party."

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Chairman of the Conservative Party, Kevin Hollinrake, said: "This shocking and treacherous act raises serious questions about Reform UK's connections to malign Russian influence and proves they cannot be trusted with our national security.

"Given his professed admiration for the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Nigel Farage must now come clean on the nature of his relationship with Gill and clearly set out if others in his party were ever involved."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "We must all ask - where do [Nigel Farage's] loyalties really lie? We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics."

Earlier this week, security minister Dan Jarvis announced a series of measures against espionage threats to the UK.

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