A member of Nigel Farage’s Reform party received a donation of £6,000 from a waste management company executive who had served time in prison for a work-related fatality incident. Sarah Pochin, a Reform UK MP, accepted the funds from Jonathan Gaskell, who had been convicted in connection with the death of an employee in 2010.

Gaskell, who had a history of legal issues, was sentenced to prison twice, once for the fatal accident and another time for a fraudulent scheme involving driving license points. Despite these convictions, Pochin, known for her critical stance on workers’ rights policies, took the donation from him.

The incident that led to Galka’s death involved a safety violation at Gaskell’s waste management company, resulting in a significant fine for the firm. The victim suffered severe injuries while attempting to fix a machine malfunction, as revealed by an investigation conducted jointly by the Health and Safety Executive and Merseyside Police.

Despite Gaskell’s questionable background, Pochin publicly praised the support she received from him, listing it as a donation to her parliamentary office. Previously, Pochin had faced backlash for making insensitive remarks linking football success to reducing domestic violence during the World Cup. Additionally, she criticized the government’s Employment Rights Act, labeling it as detrimental to job creation and economic growth.

As the first female MP for Reform, Pochin won her seat in a narrow election victory. The Reform party defended the donation, stating it complied with House of Commons regulations and aimed to support Pochin’s local parliamentary work. However, the party did not clarify whether Pochin was aware of Gaskell’s criminal past when accepting the contribution.