Former Brexit Party MEP and ex-Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill has been sentenced at the Old Bailey in London to 10 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.
The jail term was handed down today after Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery involving payments from a Russian-linked source.
The 52-year-old from Llangefni, Anglesey, admitted accepting at least £41,000 (€46,575) between December 2018 and July 2019 while he was a UKIP and later Brexit Party MEP.
The payments were made by Oleg Voloshyn, a pro-Russian Ukrainian media figure later designated by the US as a Russian “influence agent”.
Prosecutors told the court that Gill used the money to promote narratives favourable to Moscow, particularly regarding Ukraine and its relationship with Russia, in speeches, interviews and written articles.
Some of the material appeared on the Kremlin-aligned 112 Ukraine television channel.
Sentencing him, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Gill had “compromised the integrity of elected office” and caused “profound harm” by advancing Russian interests during a period of heightened tension before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“Your misconduct has ramifications far beyond personal honour, which is now irretrievably damaged. It erodes public confidence in democracy when politicians succumb to financial inducement,” she said.
The court heard that payments ranged from €4,500 (€5,111) to €5,000 (€5,679) per item of work.
Gill attempted to recruit at least four other Brexit Party MEPs into similar arrangements but none accepted.
Later, when the Brexit Party had evolved into Reform UK, Gill was asked to invite his colleagues to attend a presentation on the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Transactions were uncovered after the US FBI seized Voloshyn’s phone and passed evidence to the UK’s Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command in 2022.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the unit said: “It appears … greed was his primary motivation. But I think there’s an element of him that had a pro-Russian stance as well but only he can answer that question, to be honest with you, he never told us that.”
Murphy also said: “Nathan Gill actually offered his services to contact other MEPs, mostly UK MEPs, to also make statements that might be supportive of a Russian position in Ukraine.
“I do believe that some of the individuals in this case do have direct connections to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin. And I have no doubt that if we were able to, we could follow this trail and it would lead straight to Moscow.”
Gill was arrested in 2023 and charged in September 2025. He entered guilty pleas on September 26 and will serve half of his term at least before being eligible for release on licence.
A Reform UK spokesman confirmed that Gill ceased to have any role in the party several years ago.
In reaction to the verdict, the party said in a statement: “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.”
Other parties issued statements of disgust at Gill’s actions and linked them with Reform UK chief Nigel Farage, despite statements from the police saying Farage was not involved in the scheme.
Texts found in WhatsApp chats between Voloshyn and Gill showed how close the co-operation was.
Voloshyn sent his British counterpart praising messages such as: “Impressive … you are the perfect orator”, and “it was perfect”.
In 2021, Gill was the campaign leader for Reform UK in the Welsh parliament elections, but he is no longer a member.
During the same year, he was stopped by counter-terror police before boarding a plane to Moscow.
Gill, a former Mormon bishop, is 52 and father of seven children.
Here is Nathan Gill in 2014 blaming the EU for Russia advancing on Ukraine
Nathan Gill pled guilty to accepting bribes from Russia to promote a pro Russia anti EU position
He started in UKIP, joined the Brexit Party, then Reform UK
Here's what he said at the European… pic.twitter.com/SqfA87otm6
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) September 30, 2025
