The anti-immigration party Reform UK suspended two senior officials on Friday after they were filmed discussing potential funds from a foreign donor, which could breach British electoral law. Leader Nigel Farage described the conversations as “loose pub talk,” but announced that adviser Dan Jukes and policy chief James Orr have stepped down pending an investigation.
The issue arose when Channel 4 aired footage of Jukes and Farage dining with two men posing as a US financier and his son. In the video, they discussed a £500,000 donation that could be funnelled to the party through the “son,” who was actually an undercover reporter from Verbatim, an investigative group.
In another clip, Orr appeared to discuss securing funding from a US donor to fund opinion polls for Reform UK. He noted the lack of British donors willing to support the party. UK electoral law allows parties to accept donations only from British voters or UK-registered businesses.
These allegations overshadowed Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham. Farage claimed the party was being targeted out of fear and insisted they had not broken any rules or accepted illegal money. He described Jukes and Orr’s comments as misleading and defended the party’s integrity.
The Labour Party and Liberal Democrats have reported these claims to the Metropolitan Police. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also called for an investigation, stating that the footage suggested illegal activity. The Electoral Commission is reviewing the situation in coordination with the Met Police.
Founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party to advocate for a hard exit from the European Union, Reform UK has seen a rapid increase in membership and support since rebranding in 2021 and refining its anti-establishment, anti-immigration message. Although it holds only eight of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, the party has frequently led opinion polls and was the big winner in the local elections in May. This success prompted a panicked Labour Party to replace then-leader Keir Starmer with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Recently, however, Reform UK has faced setbacks, losing several by-elections and facing questions about its funding. Nigel Farage resigned from his House of Commons seat in July while under investigation by parliamentary ethics for an undeclared £5 million gift he received from a Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire in 2024, before his election to Parliament. Farage announced his intention to run for reelection, inviting voters to judge his actions. He won the August election easily, but critics dismissed it as a publicity stunt, and all other main parties boycotted the contest.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
