Reform Councillors Told to Call Donations Inquiry 'Establishment Stitch Up' Reform councillors have been instructed to respond to questions about the Metropolitan police investigation into donations from Fiona Cottrell, a close friend of Nigel Farage's, by accusing the "establishment" of conspiring against them.
The internal briefing documents obtained by The Times show that councillors are being told to use the script: "It is now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us.
" This tactic of deflecting attention by blaming others is a familiar one in politics. It's often employed by those in power when they're struggling to regain public trust.