Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice is facing an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over an alleged failure to declare an interest during a parliamentary debate.

Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary standards commissioner, confirmed that the probe was opened on 28 July, though no further details regarding its scope have been disclosed. The commissioner's role includes examining whether MPs have breached the Code of Conduct, which requires members to disclose relevant financial or other interests when speaking in debates to ensure transparency.

Tice stated that the investigation relates to his failure to declare an interest connected to Israel while speaking about the country during a debate on democracy held in the Palace of Westminster.

"Contrary to garbage in [the] media: the Standards Commissioner is considering [a] complaint by [an unnamed] anti-semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence [sic]," Tice said in response to the announcement.

The commissioner has decided not to investigate Tice over a loan from George Cottrell — also known as "Posh George" — a convicted fraudster and close friend of Nigel Farage.

Separately, Tice is also under police investigation regarding payments his company made to Reform prior to the 2024 election. Reform UK, founded by Farage as the Brexit Party in 2019 and rebranded in 2021, secured five seats in the July 2024 general election and has positioned itself as a disruptive force in British politics, making the financial scrutiny of its senior figures politically significant.

Tice and Farage Under Scrutiny

Tice now finds himself alongside Farage in facing a parliamentary probe. Farage stepped down from the House of Commons to stand in a by-election in his own constituency.

Farage had been under investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over whether he should have declared a £5 million donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne ahead of the 2024 election.

That parliamentary probe, which was suspended after Farage's departure from the Commons, also examined whether he should have declared support from Cottrell. This line of inquiry followed a series of reports in The Guardian and The Sunday Times detailing their financial ties.

Farage has maintained that he was not required to declare the gifts because he was not yet an MP. The Reform leader is also facing scrutiny over the timing of his plans to become Reform's leader and contest the 2024 election, a factor that could influence investigators' decisions.

Farage triggered a by-election in Clacton, scheduled to take place next week, framing it as a challenge to the "establishment." Mainstream political parties declined to field candidates, leaving the comedian Count Binface as Farage's principal opponent in the vote.

Farage could potentially face a second by-election if he wins the upcoming Clacton contest. Should the parliamentary standards watchdog determine that he ought to be suspended from the Commons upon his return, he would be required to contest the seat once again. A suspension of 10 sitting days or more triggers the recall petition process under the Recall of MPs Act 2015, which can lead to a by-election if enough constituents sign.

Major parties have pledged to run candidates against Farage in the event of a second by-election. Rupert Lowe of Restore Britain — a former Reform MP and hard-right politician viewed as a significant threat to Farage's rise — has offered to strike a deal with the party and "put differences aside."