Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has pleaded guilty to multiple bribery charges. The charges relate to statements he made in favour of Russia within the European Parliament, accepting financial remuneration for what was described as “improper performance” in his elected office. Gill, 52, of Anglesey, north Wales, admitted to eight counts of bribery that occurred between December 6, 2018, and July 18, 2019.

As an elected MEP for the constituency of Wales in the UK, Gill agreed to receive financial advantages, specifically money, in return for his actions. It was alleged that he made statements in the European Parliament and contributed opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine, which were designed to support a specific narrative beneficial to Russia concerning events in Ukraine. The court was informed that Gill was tasked on at least eight occasions by the Pro-Kremlin Ukrainian, Oleg Voloshyn, to make these specific statements in exchange for payments.

At the time of these bribery offences, Gill was serving as an MEP representing the Brexit Party, which was then led by Nigel Farage. His political journey included being first elected as a UKIP member of the European Parliament in 2014, and his role concluded when the UK officially left the EU in 2020. Following his time as an MEP, Gill went on to lead Reform UK in Wales from March to May 2021 before his resignation from the party in the months preceding his arrest in September of that year. The admissions are considered a setback for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has yet to comment on the case.

Gill’s arrest occurred on September 13, 2021, when he was stopped at Manchester Airport under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which initiated the investigation into his activities. During a hearing at the Old Bailey, Gill denied one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, which alleged he conspired with Voloshyn and others between January 1, 2018, and February 1, 2020, by accepting