News

Former Wales Reform leader Nathan Gill jailed for 10½ years over bribery plot

Published

3 months ago

November 21, 2025

A FORMER Welsh MEP who once served as Nigel Farage’s senior lieutenant in Wales has been jailed for ten-and-a-half years after admitting a series of bribery offences linked to a covert pro-Russian influence campaign inside the European Parliament.

Nathan Gill, aged fifty-two, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday where Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described his conduct as a “persistent and sophisticated abuse of trust” that struck at the heart of democratic processes. Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery earlier this year.

The offences centred on a secret arrangement with Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn, a figure aligned with Kremlin-backed interests. WhatsApp messages recovered from Gill’s phone revealed coded discussions about payments, scripts for parliamentary speeches and requests to “co-opt” other MEPs to promote Russian-aligned narratives.

Gill, a father-of-seven from Anglesey, served as a UKIP MEP between 2014 and 2020 before following Nigel Farage into the Brexit Party and later becoming the leader of Reform UK in Wales. He was arrested after counter-terrorism officers stopped him at Manchester Airport in September 2021, two days before he was due to fly to Moscow for a conference. His mobile phone was seized during a border check, and investigators uncovered a detailed message history stretching back to 2018.

Scripts, payments and a Kremlin-linked oligarch

Prosecutors told the court that Gill repeatedly acted on instructions from Voloshyn, including reading pre-prepared contributions in European Parliament debates, supporting pro-Russian broadcasters, and arranging a high-profile appearance in Strasbourg for Viktor Medvedchuk, a powerful Ukrainian oligarch whose daughter counts Vladimir Putin as her godfather.

Messages referred to “Christmas gifts” and “postcards”, which prosecutors said were code for cash. In one exchange, Gill sent Voloshyn a YouTube clip of his parliamentary remarks, adding that “V should be pleased by this” — a reference, the court heard, to Medvedchuk.

Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, said the payments were “to the financial benefit of both himself and others” and represented a sustained effort to smuggle Russian-aligned talking points into the heart of European democracy. He said Gill had “abused a position of power or trust” for personal gain.

Judge: ‘Harm inflicted is profound’

Sentencing Gill to 10 years and six months, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the former MEP had wilfully betrayed the responsibilities of his office.

“This offending was persistent rather than a momentary lapse in judgement,” she said. “You abused a position of significant authority and trust, and the harm inflicted is profound.”

The judge said Gill had offered “scant personal mitigation” and highlighted the seriousness of using unsuspecting British MEPs to lend legitimacy to the operation.

Defence accepts ‘inevitable’ prison term

Peter Wright KC, defending, said Gill recognised he had “let down” colleagues, friends and his own family, leaving them facing an uncertain future. Wright acknowledged that a long prison sentence was “inevitable” but argued that the “unique” nature of the case justified some leniency.

Throughout the hearing, Gill remained largely expressionless, though he briefly waved to family members in the gallery before sentencing resumed.

No evidence Farage knew

Police emphasised there is no evidence Nigel Farage knew of Gill’s bribery activities. Farage has previously said he was “stunned” by the revelations and condemned Gill’s behaviour “in every possible way”.

The case, however, is politically damaging for Reform UK and comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over Russian influence in Europe.

A rare conviction for foreign interference

Senior counter-terrorism officers said the case “goes to the heart of our democratic values” and warned that attempts by foreign states to manipulate political debate in Europe remain a “constant threat”.

Gill will serve his sentence in a UK prison.

Voloshyn, who is outside the jurisdiction, has not been charged.

‘Serious questions about Reform UK’

Responding to Nathan Gill’s sentencing, Mick Antoniw, Welsh Labour MS for Pontypridd, who is half-Ukrainian, said: “Today’s sentence once again raises serious questions on what Reform UK knew about this scandal and what influence Nathan Gill had on the party in Wales.

“Reform’s Welsh leader was seemingly putting the interests of Russia before the interests of Wales, and the people of Wales deserve to know what they are voting for. Welsh Labour will not stop asking these questions.”

Ed Davey said: “A traitor was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting a foreign adversary. Nigel Farage and his party are a danger to national security.

“Nigel Farage himself was previously paid to be on Putin’s TV channel, Russia Today, and said he was the world leader he admires the most. We must all ask – where do his loyalties really lie?”

“We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics.”

This is not the first time Gill’s career has been overshadowed by controversy. In 2014, shortly after first being elected as a UKIP MEP, he faced criticism over his family’s former care businesses in Hull, which had employed large numbers of migrant workers despite UKIP’s public campaign to tighten immigration rules. Gill defended the practice at the time, saying the sector struggled to recruit local staff and that the work was “tough with a high turnover”. The episode drew accusations of hypocrisy during a period when UKIP’s immigration rhetoric was under intense national scrutiny.

News

Welsh Labour promises right to read and play for every child in Wales

Published

13 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

New fund would expand toy libraries and automatically register babies for library cards

EVERY child in Wales will have an equal right to read and play, regardless of their background, under plans announced by Welsh Labour today.

The party says that if it is re-elected in the next Senedd term, it will introduce a new programme aimed at improving access to books and toys for families across the country.

The proposals include automatic registration for a library card for every child in Wales when a baby’s birth is registered, the creation of a nationwide network of 100 toy libraries, and a new Children’s Reading and Play Fund. The fund would help pay for toys and increase the number of children’s books available in both public and school libraries.

Welsh Labour says the measures are designed to ensure that children from all backgrounds have access to resources that support learning, creativity and early development.

Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle said the plans would help ensure no child misses out on opportunities because of their family’s financial circumstances.

“Every child in Wales should have access to books and toys, regardless of their background. No child should have to go without because their family can’t afford them,” she said.

“Books and toys are a vital part of growing up. The new Children’s Reading and Play Fund would ensure this is a right for every child in Wales and help reduce costs for families.”

Toy libraries operate in a similar way to traditional libraries, allowing families to borrow toys and return them after use. While some toy libraries already exist in parts of Wales, access is currently patchy.

Welsh Labour says its proposal would establish a national network of 100 toy libraries to ensure a more consistent offer across the country. Under the plan, the libraries would work together and receive national support and promotion.

The party argues that improving access to books and play materials can help support early literacy, learning and social development for young children while easing financial pressure on families.

Further details about the proposed Children’s Reading and Play Fund are expected to be set out as part of Welsh Labour’s programme for the next Senedd term.

Community

Planed wins partnership award for Carmarthenshire wellbeing project

Published

13 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Community hub supporting more than 700 people a month recognised at West Wales health and social care awards

PLANED has won the Working in Partnership Award at the West Wales Regional Health and Social Care Awards, held at Canolfan Pentre Awel.

The awards were hosted by the West Wales Regional Partnership Board and recognise projects that demonstrate strong collaboration across health, social care and community organisations.

The award celebrates the success of the Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre, a project led and managed by PLANED which has become a key hub for community support in the county.

The centre brings together a range of organisations and initiatives offering advice, wellbeing activities and support services free of charge to local residents.

PLANED said the success of the centre has been built on strong collaboration with the many projects and organisations based there, all working together to support communities across Carmarthenshire.

More than 700 people each month now access services at the centre, taking part in group sessions, receiving advice and support, and benefiting from a wide range of community-led activities.

The organisation said the award recognises not only PLANED’s leadership in developing and managing the centre, but also the collective effort of the partners delivering services from the facility.

PLANED added that it will continue seeking further funding to support the development of the centre so it can expand its work and help even more people in the future.

Representatives from the organisation said it was great to see so many partners and familiar faces at the awards ceremony, adding that the recognition belongs to everyone involved in delivering the project.

Ministry of Defence

Tank fire echoes across county as live-fire exercises continue at Castlemartin

Published

14 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS across parts of south Pembrokeshire have reported unusually loud explosions over the past week as military exercises take place at the Castlemartin Training Area.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that live firing has been underway at the range between Monday (Mar 2) and Friday (Mar 6) as part of routine training for armoured units.

People living in Milford Haven, Neyland and surrounding communities said the blasts were noticeably louder than usual, with some reporting that the noise could be heard clearly indoors.

One resident in Milford Haven told The Herald that the sound carried across the Haven during the week.

“I’ve lived here for years and you always hear the range from time to time, but this week it seemed much louder than normal. You could hear it clearly inside the house.”

The Castlemartin Range Complex, located on the south Pembrokeshire coast between Bosherston and St Govan’s Head, is one of the UK’s main live-fire training areas for armoured units.

According to the official MOD firing notice for March, a range of weapons systems are being used during the exercises, including 120mm tank guns, mortars and heavy machine guns.

The 120mm main gun used by modern battle tanks produces extremely powerful shockwaves which can carry significant distances, particularly across water.

During some training periods the range operates during normal daytime hours, typically 7:30am to 4:45pm, but certain exercises include 24-hour firing sessions.

For safety reasons, several roads and footpaths in the Castlemartin area are closed during firing periods, including the road from Bosherston to St Govan’s Chapel and access to parts of the coastline.

A sea danger area is also enforced several miles offshore while the exercises are underway.

Castlemartin has been used by the military since the 1930s and is regularly used by armoured units training with Challenger tanks before deployment on operations or major exercises.