Nigel Farage has been forced on to the defensive by a Reform UK donations sting, after two senior aides were suspended over secretly recorded discussions about channelling money from a supposed foreign donor into British politics.
The crisis overshadowed the party’s annual conference in Birmingham, where thousands of supporters gathered for Mr Farage’s keynote address as Reform’s lead in the opinion polls disappeared.
Dan Jukes, Mr Farage’s chief of staff, and James Orr, the party’s head of policy, stepped aside after Channel 4 broadcast footage recorded during an undercover investigation by Verbatim, an investigative group founded by former Centre for Climate Reporting journalists.
In the recordings, the pair appeared to discuss how a $500,000 donation from a wealthy American could be passed through his supposed son, who was in fact an undercover reporter. The two men were introduced to Mr Farage during a lunch in Clacton.
A separate exchange appeared to show one of the aides welcoming an approach to fund opinion polling intended to assist Reform. The operation also involved a reported payment of about £30,000 from a US company towards polling linked to the party, according to coverage of the investigation.
Reform has denied wrongdoing. Mr Farage said the party had not accepted illegal money and described the conversations as “loose pub talk”, while acknowledging that some comments by the two aides had been “injudicious at best”.
“The polls in question were not commissioned by Reform. The results are out there in the full public domain, and there is no issue,” he told delegates.
He added: “Neither of these members have the right to act in this way. Accordingly, they stepped down, pending an investigation.”
The Electoral Commission said it was considering all relevant information and was in contact with the Metropolitan Police. It stressed that it had not approved Reform’s donor-vetting process and that political parties were responsible for ensuring their own internal controls complied with electoral law. ([electoralcommission.org.uk](https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/cy/node/33653?utm_source=openai))
Labour has called for a police investigation, increasing pressure on Mr Farage as he faces separate parliamentary scrutiny over financial support from wealthy investors associated with the cryptocurrency industry.
Despite the controversy, the Reform leader received a warm reception at the National Exhibition Centre. His appearance was delayed by about an hour amid security concerns, with supporters dancing and singing before he took the stage.
Several protesters interrupted the early part of his speech. Mr Farage dismissed them as “boring”, while members of the audience chanted for them to leave before security staff escorted them from the hall.
Mr Farage portrayed the investigation as evidence that established parties regarded Reform as a growing threat.
“Ask yourself, why is all of this happening? Anyone got a clue why it’s happening?” he said. “Because they’re scared of us. That’s why it’s happening. And in my case, I’ve broken no laws, abused no public money.”
The scandal disrupted what was intended to be the conference’s main political announcement: an agreement with Jordan Bardella, the president of France’s National Rally, to co-operate on stopping asylum seeker boats crossing the English Channel if both parties enter government.
Mr Farage and Mr Bardella said people attempting the crossing would be returned to France, arguing that the policy would remove the incentive to make the journey. Both parties are also campaigning for tougher measures against migrants, including restrictions on benefits.
Reform’s support has risen sharply over the past two years, but its momentum has recently stalled. A YouGov poll published on September 1 put Reform and Labour level on 23 per cent, following a period in which Reform had moved ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives.
Party members at the Birmingham conference said the donations allegations had not altered their support, pointing instead to issues including migration and the arrival of asylum seekers in small boats.
For Mr Farage, the immediate challenge is to prevent the undercover footage from eclipsing Reform’s attempt to present itself as a credible party of government. The party has launched an internal investigation into the conduct of the two aides while insisting that no unlawful donation was received.
