Reform UK rocked by funding scandal as two senior figures resign

Channel 4 undercover footage shows a close Farage aide discussing how to bypass UK election law to secure foreign money

Two senior Reform UK officials resigned today after the party was hit by a fresh controversy involving suspected illegal foreign funding. The move came less than 24 hours after Channel 4 aired undercover footage from the opening day of the party’s conference in Birmingham, showing a close aide to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage discussing how to circumvent British election law to obtain money from an American donor.

The supposed donor and his son, featured in the Channel 4 report, were in fact investigators from Verbatim Investigations, a group founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting.

A party spokesperson confirmed the resignations in a statement: “The two individuals involved have stepped down from their roles pending the outcome of the investigation.” The officials are Dan Jukes, Farage’s top aide, and James Orr, Reform’s head of policy.

Police complaint and internal inquiry

The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have reported Reform UK to the Metropolitan Police. Scotland Yard said Thursday it would assess the matter and any information provided. Reform has launched its own internal investigation, insisting it must proceed “independently and without prejudice,” according to comments relayed by the BBC.

The party, however, claims it was the victim of “a hoax perpetrated by foreign‑funded climate activists.”

The undercover footage

Channel 4’s report includes footage from a lunch in Clacton, Essex, where a journalist posed as a UK‑based son and an actor played his American father. Sitting across from them were Jukes and Nigel Farage.

In the broadcast, Jukes appears to outline a method to sidestep election law and secure a £500,000 foreign donation for the party. Farage is seen responding, “It’s all perfectly legal,” after the son claims he has been discussing the matter with both Jukes and James Orr.

“I’ll be the officially registered donor,” the son says. “Then my father will send the money to me, and once everything is arranged and those conversations have happened, the funds will be available.”
Farage replies: “Thank you. Good, thank you both. Thank you.”

What the law says

UK election law requires that political donations come from registered UK voters or UK‑registered companies. In the scenario presented, the son would qualify as a legal donor, while his American father would not.

Channel 4 News also reported that, before the £500,000 donation was discussed, Orr had suggested the father could instead fund opinion polling to support Reform’s campaign — a method that would still raise questions about foreign influence.

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