Reform UK reported to police over alleged foreign funding breach
Reform UK has been reported to the police amid allegations that it breached political donation rules by using polling funded by an overseas company, reports BritPanorama.
Nigel Farage’s party allegedly received funding from a US firm for three polls commissioned earlier this year, totalling £32,500, according to Channel 4 News.
Investigative group Verbatim conducted an undercover operation posing as American financiers to expose the purported donors.
Foreign companies are not allowed to finance political parties, including for research or polling, and accepting donations from them could lead to criminal charges.
Reform UK has claimed it is a victim of a hoax. A party spokesperson stated, “Reform UK has been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded climate change activists posing as would-be party donors. The party denies any wrongdoing.
“Reform UK has a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission.”
The Liberal Democrats have filed a report with the Metropolitan Police and the Electoral Commission, and Labour is also expected to notify the police. The Green Party has called for an investigation into the allegations.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are assessing the situation.
In a letter to the force’s special enquiry team, Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart stated: “I am writing to report to your unit a potential serious breach of electoral law involving the acceptance and concealment of a donation from an impermissible donor.
“The breach raises alarming questions about whether there has been a wider complacency toward foreign interference by the individuals involved.”
Ms Smart emphasised that if James Orr, a senior adviser to Mr Farage, facilitated the purported £32,500 donation, it would represent a violation of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.
She continued: “The funding appears to have been channelled into political spending on behalf of Reform UK, and therefore a donation in kind, in a manner apparently structured to avoid the payment being recorded and reported as a donation to the Electoral Commission. This would constitute a clear breach of section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.”
Mr Orr, who is at the centre of the allegations, asserted that “no money reached Reform UK at all.”
“It was a public poll arranged by an independent person paying an independent pollster, and those polls were published immediately for the general public,” he added in a video posted to X.
This controversy arises as Reform UK holds its annual conference in Birmingham, where Mr Farage is expected to deliver a crucial speech on Friday afternoon.
In addition to these allegations, Mr Farage is under investigation by the parliamentary watchdog regarding a £5 million donation received just before he became an MP from crypto billionaire Chris Harborne, which he failed to disclose.
Mr Farage has claimed the funds were a private gift intended for his personal security and not for political purposes, thus not requiring disclosure.
Questions have also been raised surrounding past gifts and donations from his long-time associate George Cottrell, known as Posh George, and his mother.
These latest allegations come at a time when Reform is struggling in the polls, averaging around 23 per cent, which is approximately 10 points lower than last year, and the party is trailing Labour in most surveys.
A More in Common poll earlier this week indicated that Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives are currently ahead of Reform.
While Mr Farage hoped to dismiss previous allegations following his by-election victory in Clacton last month, the sting operation occurred during his campaign.
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson remarked, “This scandal goes right to the top of Reform UK. Nigel Farage needs to urgently prove today that his top team hasn’t broken the law and secretly plotted to undermine our democracy.
“It’s not just Farage’s secret £5 million ‘gift’. Time and again he and his associates think the rules don’t apply to them. The sleaze and scandal now engulfing him and his party isn’t going away – it’s getting worse.
“It’s time to stop the deflections and desperate excuses. Farage and Reform must co-operate with the authorities to establish the truth and prove just how deep this scandal goes.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey commented, “Let’s not pre-empt the police investigation and the findings of the Electoral Commission. But if they are found guilty, he (Mr Farage) should face the full force of the law, which could include substantial fines or even imprisonment.”
Green Party leader Zack Polanski stated, “These very serious claims should be fully investigated by the Electoral Commission and the police.
“There are millions of reasons why Nigel Farage is happy to take money from billionaires, climate science deniers, and secret foreign backers, and not one of them is because he has any interest in improving people’s lives.”
Dame Emily Thornberry, Chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, remarked, “It is a criminal offence to knowingly receive a donation for a political party from a foreigner with no connection to the UK.
“What has been caught on camera by Channel 4 looks to be very serious indeed. I expect the police to investigate.
“We must protect our democracy from foreign interference and keep all dodgy money out.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated, “We’re aware of media reporting involving political party donations and an alleged breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 relating to polling.
“We will assess this matter and any information provided to us.”
An Electoral Commission spokesperson noted, “The law requires political parties to report all permissible donations they accept with a value over £11,180 and all impermissible donations over £500.
“Information about any potential attempt to evade the controls on donations is for the police to consider.”
