https://evolvepolitics.substack.com/p/nigel-farages-key-fundraising-advisor

Nigel Farage's key Fundraising Advisor is a convicted fraudster who's writing a book called 'How to Launder Money'

Farage's key advisor has a vast repertoire of misdemeanours to his name - including a criminal conviction for fraud, and involvement in organisations that broke electoral law during Brexit.
Evolve Politics
Sep 30, 2025

Most people have probably never heard of George Cottrell. But - like Alastair Campbell to Tony Blair, or Dominic Cummings to Boris Johnson - Cottrell is a man who could be just a few years away from becoming one of the most important behind-the-scenes figures in Number 10, should Nigel Farage become Prime Minister at the next General Election.

However, whilst both Campbell and Cummings only became publicly synonymous for dodgy behaviour within Downing Street, Cottrell already has a vast repertoire of misdemeanours and accusations to his name - including a criminal conviction for fraud, and involvement in organisations that broke electoral law during Brexit.

In addition, Cottrell has also been accused of money laundering on several occasions, and has even been accused of funneling money through cryptocurrency to illegally fund a Montenegrin political party - accusations which he, through his lawyers, has denied.

And, as if that wasn’t enough already, Cottrell has quite literally just written a book entitled: ‘How To Launder Money’.

Yes. Seriously.

Despite all of these massive red flags and huge neon flashing ‘WARNING’ signs against both his character and conduct, Cottrell has become arguably Farage’s most trusted fundraising advisor over the last decade - with the Reform leader even going so far as to describe him as ‘like a son to me’, and being flanked by ‘Posh George’ at virtually every public and private event.

In the UK, it is illegal for political parties and politicians to accept money or gifts from foreign sources, and it is also against the law to accept anonymous or unidentified donations, or to take money laundered in ways that obscure the true source of funds.

So why, then, would Farage - a politician whose party is currently roaring ahead in the polls, and who will clearly want to keep his nose clean and present a professional image in order to ensure he becomes Prime Minister - keep a convicted criminal, someone who seems to be perpetually mired in allegations of murky financial dealings, so close by his side?

Posh George

George Cottrell was born in 1993 into a wealthy and well-connected British family with aristocratic ties. His father, Mark, is a businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire, and his mother, Fiona, is the daughter of Rupert Watson, 3rd Baron Manton.

Cottrell was privately educated on the luxury Caribbean island of Mustique, and later attended Malvern College in Worcestershire - an exclusive private school where fees are now more than £30,000 a year. However, after being expelled from Malvern, reportedly due to his illegal underage gambling habit, he was reportedly offered a job raising capital for a corporate finance house, leading to him helping to set up a multibillion-pound private office in Mayfair for a well-known ‘international’ family.

According to the Telegraph it was here that Cottrell “learned about the murky and complicated world of ‘shadow banking’, secret offshore accounts and sophisticated financial structures in such jurisdictions as Panama, Andorra and Switzerland. He did well, and was soon working as a London-based banker for an offshore private bank (which was under investigation by the US authorities as a ‘foreign financial institution of primary money-laundering concern’).“

It was a smooth transition from here and into politics for Posh George, as his social connections and financial experience helped him enter the inner circles of UKIP where, in 2013, he was introduced to Nigel Farage by his aristocratic uncle, Lord Hesketh, a former treasurer of the party.

In just a few short months Cottrell became a trusted figure within the party, operating in Farage’s inner circle at UKIP, helping to manage campaign finances, booking Farage’s helicopters, and travelling with the party leader during events and media appearances. He was first promoted to head of fundraising, and later served as UKIP’s deputy treasurer during the 2015 general election campaign.

However, in 2016, things came crashing down. Ctd....