A London-based interior design company that faced the threat of forced closure over unpaid taxes donated £200,000 to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party, despite reporting limited cash reserves and tax liabilities exceeding the value of its political contributions. Corporate filings and electoral records raise questions about the firm’s financial position, commercial activity, and the timing of its donations, even as the company insists it acted fully within the law.

The firm, Interior Architecture Landscape Limited, made a series of donations to Reform UK in multiple installments up to August 2025, according to data published by the UK Electoral Commission. The contributions, totaling £200,000, were disclosed during a period when the company was carrying significant unpaid tax obligations and had attracted the attention of the UK’s tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Financial statements filed by the company for the 2023–2024 accounting year show outstanding tax debts of more than £218,000, a figure greater than the total value of its donations. The same accounts, submitted in April 2025, indicate that Interior Architecture Landscape held cash reserves of just over £22,000 at the time, calling into question how the firm funded such a substantial political contribution.

HMRC initiated winding-up proceedings against the company in January 2025, a step typically reserved for cases in which creditors have exhausted other methods of recovering unpaid debts. Although the proceedings were later dismissed, the move underscored the seriousness of the company’s financial difficulties. In addition, Interior Architecture Landscape was twice subject to strike-off petitions by Companies House over the past two years, suggesting repeated compliance or financial issues. All three actions were ultimately discontinued.

Interior Architecture Landscape is wholly owned and directed by John Simpson, who is listed as its sole shareholder and director. In an emailed response to questions, Simpson stated that the donations to Reform UK were made “in compliance with UK electoral law,” emphasizing that political contributions by companies are permitted provided certain legal criteria are met.

Simpson also disputed the implication that the company lacked the means to donate such sums. He said that since the period covered by the most recent accounts, the firm’s financial position had improved significantly. According to Simpson, Interior Architecture Landscape is currently involved in construction and contract management activities with a combined contract value exceeding £15 million, generating sufficient resources to support political donations.

However, reporters examining the firm’s operations were unable to identify active staff, ongoing design projects, or a physical business location beyond a registered address at an accounting firm. No clear evidence of current large-scale commercial activity was publicly visible, raising questions about the nature and scope of the contracts cited by Simpson. He declined to disclose client names or property details, citing confidentiality concerns.

Interior Architecture Landscape presents itself online as “one of London’s leading luxury interior designers.” Its website features high-end imagery suggesting work in some of the capital’s most affluent neighborhoods, including Belgravia, Mayfair, and Hampstead Heath. Yet Simpson acknowledged that the images shown are not photographs of the company’s completed projects but rather stock or representative images.

According to Simpson, this approach is intended to protect client privacy while conveying the style and level of work the firm undertakes. However, the practice has drawn criticism from industry professionals. The British Institute of Interior Designers (BIID), the UK’s only professional body for interior designers, stated that the use of stock imagery is inconsistent with the professional standards it expects of its members.

A BIID spokesperson said that the organization requires members to use photographs of their own completed projects, as part of a broader code of conduct emphasizing transparency, professionalism, and integrity. The institute confirmed that neither Simpson nor Interior Architecture Landscape is a member.

Similarly, the Architects Registration Board (ARB), which regulates the use of the title “architect” in the UK, confirmed that no architects associated with Interior Architecture Landscape are listed on its official register. Simpson said the company does not claim to be an architectural practice regulated by the ARB.

The political context surrounding the donations adds to their significance. Reform UK, originally founded as the Brexit Party in 2018, surged in national opinion polls throughout 2025 under the leadership of Nigel Farage. The party is widely expected to make notable gains in local council elections scheduled for May, increasing scrutiny of its funding sources. Reform UK did not respond to requests for comment regarding the donations.

Beyond Interior Architecture Landscape, corporate records show that Simpson is connected to more than a dozen other companies in various capacities, including as shareholder, director, or representative. There is no evidence that these businesses were directly involved in or linked to donations to Reform UK.

Among these entities is Orico General Trading LLC, a firm registered in the United Arab Emirates. Arbitration records from the International Chamber of Commerce indicate that Orico agreed in 2013 to supply goods and services worth approximately $186 million as part of a project to modernize Iran’s fiber optic network. Simpson declined to comment on Orico’s activities, citing security risks and concerns about retaliation from what he described as the “oppressive Iranian regime.”

Another company linked to Simpson, Haremere Farms Limited, owns a historic Jacobean-era mansion in southern England estimated to be worth up to £6 million. Simpson did not respond to questions regarding this property or the financial position of Haremere Farms.

While there is no suggestion that the donations themselves were illegal, the case highlights the tension between the formal legality of political funding and broader questions of transparency, financial prudence, and public trust. Under UK law, companies may donate to political parties provided they are registered and conducting business in the country. The law does not prohibit donations from firms carrying tax debts, nor does it require donors to demonstrate financial health beyond basic eligibility criteria.

Nonetheless, critics argue that substantial political donations from companies facing enforcement action by tax authorities risk undermining confidence in the political system. The situation also raises questions about whether existing disclosure and oversight mechanisms adequately capture the realities of corporate political funding.

As Reform UK continues its rise in the polls, scrutiny of its donors is likely to intensify. The case of Interior Architecture Landscape illustrates how legally permissible actions can still provoke controversy when financial distress, opaque business activity, and high-stakes politics intersect.

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