The deputy leader of the Reform UK party has said he is being sued over criticism of a £46 million UK government contract for the training of Lebanese police officers.
Richard Tice told the House of Commons on Thursday he had shared a post on X in October describing the contract awarded to Siren Associates as a “grotesque abuse of taxpayers’ cash”.
“I expressed my concern about millions of pounds going out in fees to other companies. That was not well received, I think it is fair to say, by the four directors,” Mr Tice told MPs.
“They sent me a letter from their lawyers at the end of October, and just recently I have been notified that I will be receiving a writ and they will be suing me.”
Mr Tice used parliamentary privilege to repeat the allegations against Siren, which describes itself as a non-profit organisation with offices in Northern Ireland, Amman and Beirut.
He said that when he learnt of the contract “he began looking at a group of companies under the umbrella banner called Siren”. He made a series of allegations about how the companies are run under parliamentary privilege.
“They have not explained how many police they are training and supporting in all the various ways. We have no idea whatsoever,” he said.
The MP for Boston and Skegness said the money should have been spent on Lincolnshire police, the “most underfunded police force in the country”, instead of police in Lebanon.
He questioned why the UK was spending the money when “there are – regrettably but unquestionably – considerable links between the Lebanese police force and the proscribed terror group Hezbollah”.
The Reform deputy leader said he could have corrected his initial remarks in a timely manner if the company had approached him and explained their work to him.
“They just took the most aggressive route possible, not even writing to me directly from the company, but instead sending me notification from the lawyers,” he said.
Mr Tice also alleged that the company wrote to the Speaker expressing its concern he had been granted a debate on the matter.
He additionally claimed that a fellow MP, who represents a constituency in Northern Ireland, had separately approached him ahead of this week's debate and “gave me, essentially, a warning, a veiled threat, on behalf of what he called ‘a third party’, that I should be very careful”.
Given “we all know the horrors and fears that came from Northern Ireland”, he “received that with considerable concern and trepidation”, adding “frankly, I think it is outrageous – absolutely outrageous”.
Responding for the UK government, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said the contract with Siren “is subject to formal commercial oversight” and “followed a competitive tender process and was open to around 80 suppliers, including a mixture of not-for-profit and commercial organisations”.
“The UK has been a close partner of the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces since 2009,” said Mr Falconer, without directly responding to the allegation about Hezbollah links.
“We have provided training, equipment and advice to build their capability. That is important support to address key threats to Lebanon’s security.”
Siren has been approached for comment. The company has documented a long and extensive track record of work in the Middle East on its social media accounts.
It has engaged with British embassy accounts and officials in Lebanon and Jordan, showcasing its work with refugees and in the provision of humanitarian assistance.
