Nathan Gill, former leader of Reform UK in Wales, sentenced to 10.5 years for bribery and corruption

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of accepting money from a pro-Russian activist in Ukraine to read scripted speeches in the European parliament disparaging of the Ukrainian government.

Hopefully the severity of the sentence will remind other Reform politicians where their duty and loyalty should lie, and cure them of their inexplicable sympathies for Russia.

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

That's pretty close to, perhaps actually, treason.

He should be imprisoned for life.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@ninalanyon I've just finished listening to the sentencing speech which was really interesting. The actions that he took potentially damaged the Ukrainian government at a time of rising tension with Russia, but the offence was specifically about the corruption of public office for private gain, which is a serious criminal offence with a statutory sentence of ten years (his overall tariff was 16 years before reductions). The Bribery Act has been applied to offending civil servants since 2010. I am glad that is was applied impartially to Gill with no account taken of his political prominence.

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@SunshineGirl As the UK is actively supporting Ukraine with war material and training it seems plausible to me that Russia could be regarded as an enemy of Charles. That would put it squarely in the ambit of treason:

adhering to the sovereign's enemies, giving them aid or comfort;

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_treason_in_the_United_Kingdom

Will this low life be prohibited from public office when he has served his sentence?

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@ninalanyon The offences all date to 2019. If they had occurred post-2022 it would be interesting to see if any additional charges would have arisen. Even Nigel Farage has been circumspect enough to end his association with Russian Today following the invasion of Crimea. The judge did not dwell on his motivations, beyond the financial reward.

It won't disqualify him from seeking election - one of the five current Reform MPs has a criminal conviction for domestic assault - but hopefully the electorate will eventually begin to join the dots.

FreddieUK · 70-79, M

@SunshineGirl I'd so love to think so, too. The polls suggest otherwise at the moment, but there's still time for the hard right to do what the hard left always do: fall apart over doctrine.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@ninalanyon I do not know if there is a law to allow such a ban on public office, but it would certainly be for his or any other political party to decide if they will want Mr. Gill as a member.

If they do not then the most he could do is stand as an Independent MP, and hope to find electoral support.

.......
Nigel Farage and his merry men have form of course.

When he stood down as leader of his original United Kingdom Independence Party, he was replaced by Gerald Batten.

So far so good until Batten appointed as "special advisor", Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - a man whose extremist views barred him from UKP membership, and who had already served a prison sentence for his past membership of the British National Party or the National Front. (I forget which, but both were extreme-Right outfits with as few scruples as their far-Left opponents.)

It's entirely possible this hastened the end of UKIP as a serious threat to any other party.