Richard Tice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Leader of Reform UK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 11 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Nigel Farage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | David Bull andBen Habib | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament forBoston and Skegness | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Matt Warman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 2,010 (5.0%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the European Parliament forEast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 July 2019 – 31 January 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Patrick O'Flynn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Richard James Sunley Tice (1964-09-13)13 September 1964 (age 61) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Reform UK (since 2019) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Conservative (until 2012; 2016–2019) Independent (2012–2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Emma (divorced) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic partner | Isabel Oakeshott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Bernard Sunley (grandfather) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Uppingham School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Salford (BSc) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | CEO, Quidnet Capital Co-founder and former co-chair ofLeave Means Leave and former co-chair ofLeave.EU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | richardtice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard James Sunley Tice (born 13 September 1964) is a British businessman and politician who has beenMember of Parliament (MP) forBoston and Skegness and Deputy Leader ofReform UK since 2024, having previously been thechairman of the party from 2019 to 2021 and again briefly in 2024. Since 2023, he has also been Reform UK's energy and foreign-policy spokesman.[1] He became theleader of Reform UK in March 2021, but stood down in June 2024 and was succeeded byNigel Farage.[2]
A multi-millionaire,[3] Tice was thechief executive officer (CEO) of the property groupCLS Holdings from 2010 to 2014, after which he became CEO of the property asset management group Quidnet Capital LLP. He was a founder and co-chairman of the pro-Brexit campaign groupsLeave.EU andLeave Means Leave. Tice had been a long-term donor and member of theConservative Party until 2019, when he financed the founding of theBrexit Party, which was later renamed Reform UK. He was elected amember of the European Parliament (MEP) forEast of England at the2019 European Parliament (EP) election, holding this role until theUK's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) in January 2020.
In June 2024, Tice stood down as leader and was replaced by Farage, following his return to frontline politics. Tice stood inBoston and Skegness at the 2024 general election and was elected to Parliament after defeating the incumbent Conservative,Matt Warman.[4][5] After the election, he became Deputy Leader of Reform UK.
Richard James Sunley Tice was born on 13 September 1964 inFarnham,Surrey,[6][7] son of the philanthropist Joan Mary Tice (née Sunley) who died in 2019.[8] He is a maternal grandson of the property developerBernard Sunley.[9][10]
Tice, who grew up and first went to school inNorthampton,[11] was educated at theprivateUppingham School.[12] He subsequently received abachelor's degree in construction economics and quantity surveying from theUniversity of Salford.[9] He attended the evangelical ChristianIwerne camps.[13]
After graduation in 1987, Tice's first occupation was at the housing developer London and Metropolitan. This included time at its Paris office, where he learnt French. In 1991 he started working for the housebuilding and commercial property company founded by his grandfather, The Sunley Group. Tice was its joint chief executive officer (CEO) for 14 years before leaving the company in 2006.[14]
Tice then ran his own debt advisory consultancy before joining the property investment groupCLS Holdings in 2010, leading major planning property applications inVauxhall, London. He was its CEO until 2014. Tice left the company to become CEO of the property investment firm Quidnet Capital Partners LLP,[15] having been removed from CLS' board due to a potential conflict of interest.[16]
Tice was a television presenter forTalkTV before moving toGB News in September 2023.[17]
Before joining theBrexit Party, Tice was a donor and member of theConservative Party for most of his adult life.[3][18] Tice wrote a 2008 report for the think tankReform called "Academies: A model education?".[9] In 2017, he co-wrote a pamphlet for the think tank UK 2020, "Timebomb: how the university cartel is failing Britain's students", which included recommendations on how to expand two-year degrees.[19] He produced a follow-up report on student finances called "Defusing the debt timebomb" which he sent to the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer,Philip Hammond.[20]
In a May 2018 article on theConservativeHome website, Tice argued for the importance of expanding the availability of homes for people on lower incomes and how this could be achieved more effectively. He felt that crime could also be reduced if housing was better managed.[21]
Tice is aEurosceptic. He was a director of the campaign group, Business for Sterling,[22] which campaigned for the United Kingdom not to adopt theEuro in the late 1990s.[23] Tice donated £1,750 to the Eurosceptic MPDavid Davis' candidacy in the2001 Conservative Party leadership election.[24]
In July 2015, Tice co-founded, with the businessmanArron Banks, the pro-BrexitLeave.EU campaign group. It was originally known as The Know.EU before being rebranded in September of that year.[25] He also donated £38,000 to the pro-Brexit campaign groupGrassroots Out.[26] Shortly after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in the2016 referendum, he left Leave.EU, and co-founded the pressure groupLeave Means Leave,[27] co-chairing it with businessmanJohn Longworth. In October 2017, they were placed jointly at Number 90 onIain Dale's list of the "Top 100 Most Influential People on the Right".[28]
Tice, Banks,Andy Wigmore andNigel Farage were referred to by sections of the media as the "Bad Boys of Brexit", a group who facilitated it.[29] Tice wrote a number of articles advocating ano-deal Brexit,[30] and was the first to use the phrase, "no deal is better than a bad deal" in relation to Brexit in July 2016, which was later used by then-Prime MinisterTheresa May in her Lancaster House speech outlining the government's approach to negotiations in January 2017.[31]
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TheBrexit Party, aright-wing populist and Eurosceptic political party, was formed on 23 November 2018, and Tice was appointed a director on 8 May 2019.[32] In his role as thechairman of the Brexit Party he regularly represented it with appearances in the media, including inclusion on the panel ofBBC Radio 4'sAny Questions?.[33] He was the chairman when the party participated in the2019 European Parliament election, underNigel Farage's leadership.[34] In that election, it won 29 seats in theEuropean Parliament, having existed for only six months.[35]
Tice stood as a candidate at the 2019 European Parliament election. He was first on hisparty's list in theEast of England constituency, and was elected as one of its three MEPs for that region.[36] In the European Parliament, he was a member of theCommittee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, and was part of the delegation for relations with Canada.[6]
In November 2019, it was announced that Tice would be standing as the Brexit Party candidate for theHartlepool constituency at the2019 general election.[37] He finished in third place, with 25.8% of the vote.[38]
On 30 October 2020, Farage applied to the Electoral Commission to change the Brexit Party's name toReform UK.[39] On 6 March 2021, it was announced that Tice would become Leader of Reform UK following Farage's resignation.[40]
In March 2021, Tice announced he would be the Reform UK candidate for theHavering and Redbridge constituency in the2021 London Assembly election.[41] He came second-to-last with 5,143 votes.[42][43] Tice was also the lead Reform UK candidate on the Londonwide list, though the party finished tenth with 1% of all votes cast.[44] Reform UK under Tice's leadership gained only two councillors in the 2021 local elections.[45]
In December 2021, Tice stood in theby-election for the Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency following the death of the sitting MP,James Brokenshire. He received 1,432 votes, a 6.6% vote share.[46]
In June 2024, Tice stood down as leader and was replaced by Farage, after his return to frontline politics. Tice stood inBoston and Skegness at the2024 general election and was elected to Parliament after defeating the incumbent Conservative,Matt Warman.[4][5] In addition to Tice, four other Reform UK candidates were elected to parliament; Farage,Lee Anderson,Rupert Lowe andJames McMurdock. Speaking in theHouse of Commons, Tice compared Home SecretaryYvette Cooper and Prime MinisterKeir Starmer's plan to "smash the gangs" through theBorder Security Command as "a game ofWhac-A-Mole".[citation needed] In January 2025, Tice voted along with all other Reform UK MPs for a new national inquiry into rape gangs. Reform UK was the only party to vote in unison. The bill was lost at 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253, against the amendment.[47][48][49][50]
Tice rejects the contention that there is a scientific consensus onclimate change, having stated during an interview withSky News in February 2025 that it is "absolute garbage" to suggest that human activities constitute the main factor contributing to climate change. He said: "The climate changed for millions of years before man-made CO2."[51] His comments on climate change are counter to the findings of over 200 international scientists and were rejected unequivocally by Dr George Adamson fromKing's College London,Professor Sheila Rowan, vice president of The Royal Society of independent scientists, Dr Andrew Jarvis fromLancaster University (who called Tice's comments "categorically wrong") and Bob Ward, policy director at LSE University's Grantham Research Institute and fellow of theGeological Society, who called Tice's comments "pure misinformation".[52]
In 2022, Tice co-authored with Sam Ashworth-Hayes a paper for theHenry Jackson Society which argued thatinternational sanctions failed to deter Russia from invading Ukraine and that this should be a lesson for the West's approach toChina on the issue ofTaiwan. They wrote that "sanctions against China should be planned in advance, and clear warning given to relevant private sector actors and sectors that they will be expected to cease business with China in the event of a conflict with Taiwan".[53]
When referring to the U.S.Republican Party politician,Ron DeSantis in late April 2023, Tice described him as "a courageous, bold leader and that's very interesting" and someone who "doesn't muck about — he just gets stuff done and tells it as it is" and said that he was trying to establish links with DeSantis.[54]
DuringPrime Minister's Question Time in February 2025, Tice argued that British tax money should not be used to fundUNRWA and stated that the organisation is "riddled withHamas sympathisers" citing evidence given by British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari who had been held captive by Hamas.[55] In May 2025, Tice gave a keynote speech at an event inHampstead organised by the National Jewish Assembly in which he said the “scariest and hardest” thing to do in the House of Commons was to speak up for Israel and the Jewish community.[56]
Tice strongly criticised Starmer's handling of the scandal surroundingPeter Mandelson's relationship with sex offenderJeffrey Epstein, accusing him of a "woefully incompetent judgment" and of "misleading" Parliament. He andReform UK have also raised questions about the vetting process for the appointment. Tice stated that Starmer humiliated the country by appointing Mandelson despite public knowledge of his links to Epstein. Tice claimed Starmer misled the House of Commons by first expressing confidence in Mandelson on September 10, then sacking him a day later. He also questioned how Starmer could credibly maintain his confidence in Mandelson with the emerging evidence. Tice and Reform UK have challenged the vetting process, stating that Starmer was wrong to claim that "full due process" had been followed. This came after it was revealed that Mandelson was not subjected to in-depth security vetting until after his appointment was announced. Tice, alongside other MPs, has called for a Cabinet minister to come to Parliament and explain what was known and when. He has also questioned whether Mandelson will lose the Labour whip or be forced to resign from the House of Lords. Tice has suggested that Starmer would be "very lucky" to last as prime minister until May 2026, indicating his belief that the scandal will significantly damage Starmer's political standing.[57]
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| European election 2019: East of England[58] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) | ± from prev. | |
| Brexit Party | Richard Tice (1) Michael Heaver (3) June Mummery (5) Paul Hearn, Priscilla Huby, Sean Lever, Edmund Fordham | 604,715 (201,391.67) | 37.83 | New | |
| Liberal Democrats | Barbara Gibson (2) Lucy Nethsingha (6) Fionna Tod, Stephen Robinson, Sandy Walkington, Marie Goldman, Jules Ewart | 361,563 (180,751.5) | 22.62 | +15.72 | |
| Green | Catherine Rowett (4) Rupert Read, Martin Schmierer, Fiona Radic, Paul Jeater, Pallavi Devulapalli, Jeremy Caddick | 202,460 | 12.67 | +4.17 | |
| Conservative | Geoffrey Van Orden (7) John Flack, Joe Rich, Thomas McLaren, Joel Charles, Wazz Mughal, Thomas Smith | 163,830 | 10.25 | –18.15 | |
| Labour | Alex Mayer, Chris Vince,Sharon Taylor, Alvin Shum, Anna Smith, Adam Scott, Javeria Hussain | 139,490 | 8.73 | –8.57 | |
| Change UK | Emma Taylor,Neil Carmichael, Bhavna Joshi, Michelle de Vries, Amanda Gummer, Thomas Graham,Roger Casale | 58,274 | 3.65 | New | |
| UKIP | Stuart Agnew, Paul Oakley, Elizabeth Jones, William Ashpole, Alan Graves, John Wallace, John Whitby | 54,676 | 3.42 | –31.08 | |
| English Democrat | Robin Tilbrook, Charles Vickers, Bridget Vickers, Paul Wiffen | 10,217 | 0.64 | –1.09 | |
| Independent | Attila Csordas | 3,230 | 0.20 | New | |
| Rejected ballots | 9,589 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,603,017 | 36.37 | +0.5 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform | Richard Tice | 15,520 | 38.4 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Matt Warman | 13,510 | 33.4 | −43.0 | |
| Labour | Alex Fawbert | 7,629 | 18.9 | +3.3 | |
| Green | Christopher Moore | 1,506 | 3.7 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard Lloyd | 1,375 | 3.4 | −1.4 | |
| English Democrat | David Dickason | 518 | 1.3 | N/A | |
| Blue Revolution | Mike Gilbert | 397 | 1.0 | N/A | |
| Majority | 2,010 | 5.0 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 40,455 | 53.4 | −6.0 | ||
| Registered electors | 75,811 | ||||
| Reformgain fromConservative | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Mike Hill | 15,464 | 37.7 | –14.8 | |
| Conservative | Stefan Houghton | 11,869 | 28.9 | –5.3 | |
| Brexit Party | Richard Tice | 10,603 | 25.8 | N/A | |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Hagon | 1,696 | 4.1 | +2.3 | |
| Independent | Joe Bousfield | 911 | 2.2 | N/A | |
| Socialist Labour | Kevin Cranney | 494 | 1.2 | N/A | |
| Majority | 3,595 | 8.8 | –9.5 | ||
| Turnout | 41,037 | 57.9 | –1.3 | ||
| Labourhold | Swing | –4.8 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Keith Prince | 77,268 | 46.0 | +8.3 | |
| Labour | Judith Garfield | 61,941 | 36.9 | 0.0 | |
| Green | Melanie Collins | 13,685 | 8.1 | +2.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Thomas Clarke | 8,150 | 4.8 | +0.7 | |
| Reform | Richard Tice | 5,143 | 3.1 | New | |
| TUSC | Andy Walker | 1,856 | 1.1 | New | |
| Majority | 15,327 | 9.1 | +8.3 | ||
| Total formal votes | 168,043 | ||||
| Informal votes | 2,741 | ||||
| Turnout | 170,784 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Louie French | 11,189 | 51.5 | –13.0 | |
| Labour | Daniel Francis | 6,711 | 30.9 | +7.4 | |
| Reform | Richard Tice | 1,432 | 6.6 | N/A | |
| Green | Jonathan Rooks | 830 | 3.8 | +0.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Simone Reynolds | 647 | 3.0 | –5.3 | |
| English Democrat | Elaine Cheeseman | 271 | 1.3 | N/A | |
| UKIP | John Poynton | 184 | 0.8 | N/A | |
| Rejoin EU | Richard Hewison | 151 | 0.7 | N/A | |
| Heritage | David Kurten | 116 | 0.5 | N/A | |
| CPA | Carol Valinejad | 108 | 0.5 | ±0.0 | |
| Monster Raving Loony | Mad Mike Young | 94 | 0.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 4,478 | 20.6 | –20.4 | ||
| Turnout | 21,733 | 33.5 | –36.3 | ||
| Rejected ballots | 50 | 0.2 | |||
| Total ballots | 21,783 | 33.6 | |||
| Registered electors | 64,831 | ||||
| Conservativehold | Swing | –10.2 | |||
Tice is divorced after a 24-year marriage with his ex-wife Emma,[63] with whom he has three children.[64] He began a relationship with the right-wing political journalistIsabel Oakeshott in 2018, and separated from his wife in March 2019.[65]
Tice grew up and first went to school in Northampton, and is a supporter ofNorthampton Saints rugby club.[11] Tice was a member of the governing body ofNorthampton Academy between 2005 and 2019 and has also been vice chair of trustees at Uppingham School.[66]
A long-time contributor to the magazineProperty Week, Tice is a regular commentator on developments within the property world.[67] Tice has identified as aChristian and said he "enjoys the church [and] believes in God".[68]
In October 2019,openDemocracy revealed that two offshore companies in tax havens had owned shares in Tice's family business, Sunley Family Limited, since 1994.[69]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by himself (in 2021) | Chairman ofReform UK 3 June – 11 July 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byas co-deputy leader | Deputy leader ofReform UK 11 July 2024 –present | Incumbent |
| Preceded byas co-deputy leader | ||
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of parliament forBoston and Skegness 2024–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
