Farage denies wrongdoing as police assess Reform UK donations complaint
The Reform UK leader says he was not listening during a meeting linked to a proposed £30,000 donation arrangement involving a potential overseas donor.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has denied wrongdoing over an undercover investigation into whether the party considered evading UK laws governing political donations from overseas.
Speaking on the final day of Reform’s conference, Farage said he “wasn’t even listening” during a meeting involving aide Dan Jukes and head of policy James Orr. Both men were suspended after undercover footage appeared to show them discussing a proposed donation arrangement.
The Guardian reported that undercover reporters posed as a potential Reform supporter and his wealthy American father, described as an impermissible donor. A reported £30,000 payment funded polling later published in national newspapers. Farage was separately recorded describing the arrangement as “all above board”.
Farage said he understood that the funds would come through a UK-based family office and told the BBC he knew donation law “better than anybody”. He, Jukes and Orr deny wrongdoing, and no finding that the payment breached UK law has been reported.
The Metropolitan Police is assessing a complaint alleging possible breaches of political funding laws. The scope and outcome of that assessment remain unknown. Reform has also given differing descriptions of Jukes and Orr’s status, referring both to permanent suspension and to stepping down pending an investigation.
The controversy overshadowed Reform’s efforts to focus its conference on policy. Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick pledged to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 within the first 100 days of a Reform government, while education spokesperson Suella Braverman announced plans to reduce student-loan allocations by 20 per cent.
