UK watchdog says Reform's Tice breached parliament rules over Israel trip declaration

Britain's Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice speaks during a rally as part of the party's "100 Days to Save Britain" tour in Doncaster, Britain, October 1, 2026. REUTERS/Scott Heppell Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice breached parliament's code of conduct by ​inadvertently failing to declare a trip to ‌Israel during a debate on pro-Israel influence, Britain's parliamentary standards watchdog said on Tuesday.

The Parliamentary Commissioner ​for Standards said Tice should have ​declared a visit to Israel in 2025 ⁠that was paid for by Reform ​Friends of Israel when he participated in ​a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence. Sign up here. The commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, concluded that Tice had breached rule ​six of parliament's code of conduct, which ​requires lawmakers to declare relevant interests when speaking in ‌parliamentary ⁠proceedings.

Greenberg said the Israel trip had met the test for declaration because it could "reasonably be thought by others to influence" a ​member's actions ​or words. Tice ⁠accepted the finding, acknowledged the breach and apologised, the commissioner ​said, adding that the inquiry was ​now ⁠over. Greenberg said he was satisfied the failure was inadvertent and had stemmed from Tice's misunderstanding ⁠of ​when a declaration was ​required. Tice did not immediately respond to a request for ​comment.

Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Suggested Topics: United Kingdom X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights