How have Reform UK MPs voted on sanctions or measures targeting Russia since 2022?
Executive summary
Reform UK MPs have no unified, well-documented parliamentary voting record on UK sanctions targeting Russia in the sources provided; detailed roll‑call votes and how each Reform MP voted are not shown in current reporting (available sources do not mention individual Reform MP votes on specific sanctions measures) [1] [2]. What is documented is extensive UK sanctions activity since February 2022 — multiple statutory instruments, broadening of designation powers and repeated sanction packages through 2024–25 — but the Commons Library and Hansard briefings cited do not list Reform UK votes by name [1] [2] [3].
1. What legislation and measures Parliament has considered
Since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in February 2022 the UK government introduced a series of sanctions regulations and amendment SIs to broaden designation powers and close loopholes; the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations were repeatedly amended using the Sanctions Act powers and debated under expedited parliamentary procedures such as “made affirmative” SIs [2] [3]. The House of Commons Library catalogues UK sanctions activity from February 2022 to January 2025 and describes continuous packages of designations, asset freezes and financial restrictions across 2022–25 [1] [4].
2. How votes were often taken — delegated instruments, not always full Commons divisions
Many of the early and urgent measures were introduced as statutory instruments that took effect immediately and required retrospective Commons approval (the “made affirmative” route), a process that limits the scope for traditional full‑House free votes and recorded divisions [2]. That procedural context matters: some measures were implemented by the executive and then approved retrospectively, so public roll‑call records of individual MP votes are not always available in the same way as primary legislation votes [2].
3. What the Commons Library and Hansard say about scrutiny and content
The Library and Hansard research briefings document the substantive content: designation of Duma and Federation Council members, bans on Aeroflot from UK airspace, expanded financial and trade restrictions, criminal offences for providing funds linked to Russia and successive package updates through late 2024 and 2025 [3] [5] [6]. These sources also flag scrutiny challenges arising from urgent delegated legislation, and the Government’s use of the Sanctions and Anti‑Money Laundering Act 2018 to act quickly [2] [3].
4. What the sources say about Reform UK specifically — perceptions, not votes
Reporting collected here focuses on political controversy around Reform UK’s stance toward Russia and alleged links, including the Nathan Gill bribery case and polling that many voters view Reform as “pro‑Russia” — but these pieces do not provide vote‑by‑vote records of Reform MPs on specific sanctions measures in Parliament [7] [8] [9]. Commentators and think‑tanks debate Reform’s foreign‑policy posture and public perception, while news outlets call for internal reviews following convictions, but they stop short of documenting how individual Reform MPs voted in Commons divisions on sanctions [10] [11].
5. Two interpretations supported by the available reporting
One interpretation: procedural reality — rapid government use of SIs and broad executive sanctions powers — explains why granular, named voting records are sparse in broader briefings and news coverage; the Library and Hansard explain that many sanctions rules were adopted via delegated instruments [2] [1]. Alternative interpretation: media and political attention has concentrated on party statements, leadership remarks and alleged links (eg. Nathan Gill) rather than compiling a systematic, public ledger of Reform MPs’ parliamentary votes on sanctions, leaving a gap between reputational narratives and formal voting evidence [7] [12].
6. What’s missing and how to get the missing data
Available sources do not mention how each named Reform UK MP voted on specific sanctions SIs or regulations (available sources do not mention named roll‑call votes for Reform MPs) [1] [2]. To produce a definitive vote‑by‑vote account, consult: Hansard division lists for each relevant date; the Commons Library’s annexes to sanction briefings that sometimes include vote tables; and the parliamentary voting record (TheyWorkForYou/official division lists) for the exact divisions tied to each statutory instrument and secondary regulation [2] [1].
7. Bottom line — cautious conclusion and competing claims
The factual record in the Commons Library and Hansard shows sustained, increasingly stringent UK sanctions against Russia since 2022, implemented often by rapid delegated legislation [1] [2]. Sources assembled here report public and media scrutiny of Reform UK’s rhetoric and personnel over Russia but do not document individual Reform MP votes on those sanctions measures [7] [9]. Any firm claim about how Reform MPs voted on specific sanctions requires consulting primary division lists and vote records not found in the sources provided (available sources do not mention those division results).