Reform UK Senior Aides Resign Following Foreign Funding Allegations
Allegations and Resignations Shake Reform UK Party
By Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout
Undercover Investigation and Foreign Funding Claims
BIRMINGHAM, England, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Britain's populist Reform UK said two senior aides to leader Nigel Farage stepped down on Friday after an undercover investigation alleged the party had broken electoral law by arranging for a foreign donor to pay for political polling.
Reform — which has seen its commanding lead in opinion polls falter over other funding allegations — denied any wrongdoing and said the party had been the victim of a hoax perpetrated by climate activists.
The investigation, broadcast by Channel 4 just before Reform's annual conference began, said two senior figures in Reform had arranged for a U.S. company to pay more than £30,000 for three opinion polls commissioned by the party.
Such an arrangement could breach British laws on political funding, which ban foreign donations.
Methods Used in the Investigation
Posing as wealthy donors from the United States with British connections, the undercover team from investigative group Verbatim said it spent a year speaking to officials in Reform about possible donations, culminating in a lunch with Farage.
Channel 4 said Verbatim was an independent organisation founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting, but that it had verified their findings, which included covertly filmed footage of meetings. The footage at one point shows Farage thanking the would-be donors.
Farage's Response to Allegations
Farage told LBC radio: "The party has broken no laws. The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever."
The governing Labour Party has written to the police asking them to investigate possible criminal offences, including an alleged proposal to channel a larger overseas donation through a UK intermediary.
Impact on Reform UK Annual Conference
Conference Overshadowed by Scandal
FARAGE SAYS AIDES WERE 'ENTRAPPED'
The new accusations cast a shadow over Reform's annual conference in the central English city of Birmingham, where thousands of supporters flocked to listen to Farage and Reform's seven other lawmakers set out their plans for government.
The party wanted to show its readiness to take power in the next elections — which are not due until 2029 but could come earlier if Britain's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, decides he needs a new mandate from the voting public.
Instead, Reform spent almost equal amounts of time either vigorously denying the accusations or trying to ignore them.
Internal Investigation and Resignations
The party announced an internal investigation and said the two officials featured in the documentary — head of policy James Orr and Farage's right-hand man Dan Jukes — had stepped down pending its results.
Orr, a philosophy professor at the University of Cambridge and friend of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, said in a video on X that Reform had not been involved in commissioning the poll.
Jukes has yet to offer any public statement, but Farage called his comments "loose pub talk, including a couple of boasts that simply were not true".
Even Farage's star guest, the far-right National Rally party chief Jordan Bardella, was asked for his thoughts on the affair.
Previous Funding Controversies
Farage, 62, is already under parliamentary investigation over a £5 million donation from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024. He denies any wrongdoing.
Labour Party's Response and Further Allegations
Additional Breach Claims
LABOUR ALLEGE FURTHER POSSIBLE BREACHES
In a letter to the Metropolitan Police, Labour said there were two further possible breaches: discussion of channelling a donation from a U.S.-based donor through a UK-based son and the suggestion that similar methods had been used in the past.
The police said they were aware of the allegations and would assess any information provided to them. This did not amount to the formal launch of an investigation.
The Electoral Commission, which oversees and regulates political finance in Britain, said it was considering the information and was in touch with the police.
Potential Impact on Reform UK and Public Perception
The new allegations could prompt voters to question whether the party was ready for government, said Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at the pollster Ipsos. "This is an issue that is cutting through," he added.
At the conference, several Reform officials acknowledged that the 'sting' was bad for the party. One said on condition of anonymity that it was "survivable".
"Everyone needs to unite and stand behind Nigel Farage," said Nadine Dorries, a former Conservative lawmaker who switched to Reform last year.
There was little need to persuade Farage's supporters of that in Birmingham.
"I think Nigel's definitely still the right leader. I don't think anybody can match him," said Charles Amos, 26, who teaches political philosophy and ethics at King's College London.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout in Birmingham, additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti in London, writing by Elizabeth Piper and William James; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Hugh Lawson)
