Reform UK faces donation law probe

Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham was overshadowed by a major scandal involving allegations of breaches in political donation laws, leading to the resignation of two senior party officials and prompting calls for a police investigation. The controversy erupted after an undercover investigation by the group Verbatim, broadcast by Channel 4 News on September 3, 2026, reportedly captured party figures discussing ways to circumvent electoral rules regarding foreign funding. The investigation, conducted over nearly a year, alleged that Reform UK's head of policy, James Orr, and a long-serving aide to leader Nigel Farage, Dan Jukes, discussed arrangements for an overseas company to fund three opinion polls costing £32,500. Further footage reportedly showed discussions about channeling a potential £500,000 donation from a foreign source through a UK intermediary. Under British electoral law, political donations from impermissible foreign sources are banned, and such contributions, including benefits in kind like polling, must be declared. In response to the broadcast, Orr and Jukes stepped down from their roles pending an internal party investigation.