Britain First leader Paul Golding says he will contest a driving-without-insurance allegation in November and is asking supporters to pay towards his legal defence, while claiming the case is an attempt to restrict his political activities.
Golding says he has pleaded not guilty and is due at Bolton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 11 November 2026. His account appears in a statement published on the Britain First website. Fish 4 News has not independently verified the court listing, the relevant insurance records or the allegations made against Greater Manchester Police. He has not been convicted in this case.
What Golding says happened
In his published statement, Golding says a Britain First minibus was impounded in Manchester on 6 October 2025. He alleges that officers telephoned his insurer while the vehicle was stopped and pressured the company to cancel its cover. He maintains the vehicle was insured before that call.
Golding says he possesses footage of officers acknowledging contact with the insurer. Such footage, if authentic, would not by itself establish that officers coerced the company or that cover was valid at the time relevant to the allegation. Neither the footage nor the policy and cancellation documents have been independently examined by Fish 4 News.
He also alleges that the action came from Stephen Watson, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. No independent evidence substantiating personal involvement by the chief constable has been established in this report.
Golding describes the prosecution as an establishment ‘Police State stitch-up’ and argues that losing his licence would hamper his work as party leader. Those assertions are his account of the case, not findings by a court.
An appeal for legal funding
The same statement asks supporters to contribute towards the cost of his solicitors. Golding says he needs to pay the legal team ahead of the hearing. It does not disclose a verified fundraising target or the total raised.
This is not the first time the party has sought donations amid a dispute involving the vehicle. In November 2025, Britain First stated that it had launched a GiveSendGo appeal when the minibus faced disposal. It said money raised to buy a replacement vehicle was instead used to buy the original bus back at auction.
The party framed that episode as a victory over police persecution. The fact that it made those claims and requested contributions is documented by its own publications. Whether any police decision was unlawful, or whether fundraising involved wrongdoing, is not established by those statements.
What the law says about driving without insurance
Under government guidance, motorists must have at least third-party cover when driving on a road or in a public place. Police may seize an uninsured vehicle. A fixed penalty can involve six points and a £300 fine; a court may impose an unlimited fine or disqualification.
The Highway Code’s penalty table specifies six to eight points for driving without insurance, with disqualification available at the court’s discretion. Consequently, Golding’s assertion that he will necessarily lose his licence is not an established outcome. His current licence points and any other relevant circumstances are unknown.
The crucial factual question is what insurance was in force, on what terms and at precisely what time. That is a matter for the evidence and, if the prosecution proceeds, the court.
Earlier court cases and claims of political targeting
Golding has previously been convicted in cases unrelated to this motoring allegation. In December 2016, he was jailed for contempt of court after breaching an injunction concerning entry to mosques. In March 2018, he received an 18-week prison sentence following a conviction for one count of religiously aggravated harassment; two other counts against him were dismissed.
In May 2020, he was convicted for failing to comply with police requirements under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act after returning from Russia. That was a failure-to-comply offence, not a conviction for carrying out terrorism. His defence disputed the police account of how he was questioned.
These previous convictions establish his legal history, but they do not determine the merits of the 2026 insurance case. Political figures, like other defendants, are entitled to contest charges and challenge police conduct through the courts.
Separate penalties over Britain First’s party accounts
In September 2026, the Electoral Commission fined Britain First £4,050 over late submission of its 2023 accounts and insufficient accounting records. In October, the regulator imposed a further £4,500 penalty for the late 2024 accounts.
Those are sanctions against the political party, not personal convictions of Golding. They do not establish that donors’ money was misused, nor are they evidence that the insurance prosecution is politically motivated.
What remains unconfirmed
- The official court listing and full particulars of the alleged motoring offence.
- The insurance policy, cancellation notice and exact time cover ended.
- What officers told the insurer and the insurer’s explanation for any cancellation.
- Whether the chief constable was personally involved in a decision about Golding.
- Any court finding about the lawfulness of the vehicle seizure or prosecution.
Without that evidence, the documented story is that a political leader is publicly alleging persecution in a contested insurance case while appealing for financial support. The truth of the underlying police-misconduct allegation has not been established.
Sources
- Paul Golding’s statement about the court case and legal-funding appeal
- Britain First’s November 2025 vehicle fundraising and auction account
- GOV.UK: driving without insurance
- Highway Code: penalties
- Luton Today: 2016 contempt of court sentence and police statement
- ITV News: 2018 harassment conviction
- PA Media report: 2020 Schedule 7 conviction
- Electoral Commission: investigations and penalties
