Ex-Brexit MEP Rejects Claim of Pro-Russia Payments

Published: 28 November 2025 Friday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

David Coburn, a former Brexit Party MEP and one-time leader of UKIP Scotland, has strongly denied taking any money linked to a pro-Russian influence effort in the European Parliament. His name appears in WhatsApp exchanges between disgraced ex-MEP Nathan Gill and Oleg Voloshyn, a Ukrainian politician sanctioned by the UK and US for alleged ties to Russian intelligence operations.

The messages came to light during Gill’s sentencing at the Old Bailey last week, where the former Wales leader of the Brexit Party—now Reform UK—received a ten-and-a-half-year prison term. Gill admitted eight counts of bribery after taking payments to deliver speeches and interviews promoting narratives favourable to the Kremlin, particularly through two Ukrainian broadcasters tied to Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk.

Coburn, who served alongside Gill in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019, was approached by the BBC at his home in rural France. Asked directly whether he had ever been paid to support pro-Russian messaging, he replied simply: “No.” He declined further questions, including why his name appeared in documents submitted by the Crown Prosecution Service. The BBC has found no evidence that Coburn received or was directly offered money.

The CPS documents reveal that Voloshyn allegedly set aside $6,500—around £5,000—for another MEP identified only as “D” or “David.” Messages dated April 2019 show Gill asking about the amount intended for this unnamed MEP, with Voloshyn confirming a portion of the money was already in Gill’s possession. Investigators believe “David” refers to Coburn, the only MEP of that name linked to the broadcasters’ so-called “editorial board.”

The exchanges were uncovered when counter-terrorism police seized Gill’s phone at Manchester Airport in 2021. He had been en route to Moscow for a conference when he was stopped. Officers later said Gill used his leadership role within UKIP and the Brexit Party to bring other MEPs into pro-Russian media environments, even though those individuals were not aware he was being bribed.

Coburn and fellow former MEP Jonathan Arnott had previously visited the pro-Russian channels 112 Ukraine and NewsOne in 2018 and spoke in their defence during a European Parliament debate. Both echoed claims that Ukrainian authorities were suppressing media freedom—arguments that aligned closely with Russian propaganda about Kyiv. Arnott has insisted he was never offered a bribe and said any suggestion he was acting for Russia is “nonsensical.”

Medvedchuk, believed by the CPS to be the ultimate source of the funds, is a longstanding ally of Vladimir Putin whose daughter counts the Russian president as her godfather. Both Medvedchuk and Voloshyn have since been sanctioned for attempts to destabilise Ukraine. The broadcasters at the heart of the scheme were shut down by Ukraine in 2021 under President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The court heard that Gill used his influence to secure interviews with multiple MEPs for the pro-Russian channels. Police say the conversations on his phone indicate that money was also earmarked “for other individuals,” though no evidence shows others knowingly participated in bribery. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that no further arrests have been made but said the investigation remains active.

The revelations have triggered renewed calls for political accountability. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Reform UK leader Nigel Farage—Gill’s former party chief—to “urgently investigate” any other potential Russian links. Farage responded that he is confident no other members engaged in wrongdoing but stressed that he is “not a police force” and cannot conduct such inquiries himself. He instead called for a broader MI5-led investigation into foreign interference in British politics, including from both Russia and China.

Reform UK issued a statement emphasising that Coburn has “no involvement” with the party in its current form. However, the allegations have cast a shadow over past relationships within the Brexit Party and UKIP, reigniting debates about the vulnerability of UK politics to covert influence campaigns.

The ongoing police investigation, combined with the increasingly detailed picture emerging from Gill’s messages, continues to raise questions about the scale and intent of Russian attempts to manipulate European political discourse. As further evidence surfaces, the scrutiny surrounding former MEPs—particularly those linked to Gill—appears far from over.