Nigel Farage faces police investigation over allegations of breaching foreign funding laws

The Metropolitan Police have launched a criminal investigation into Reform UK following allegations that the party breached campaign finance laws by using foreign donors to pay for political polling. The investigation follows an undercover report by Channel 4 News, which revealed that senior aides Dan Jukes and James Orr allegedly suggested ways to bypass electoral laws to secure foreign donations. Undercover reporters posed as the son of a wealthy American donor to commission three polls that were subsequently reported as independent by national newspapers. The Met Police stated that detectives are seeking to obtain footage from the broadcast and will merge this inquiry with a pre-existing investigation into other party donations. Nigel Farage dismissed the comments made by his aides as "loose pub talk" and stated he was not listening during the discussions. Both Jukes and Orr have stepped down from their roles. A Reform UK spokesman stated the party denies any wrongdoing and will cooperate fully with the investigation. The scandal overshadowed the party's recent conference in Birmingham. Other political parties have responded to the news, with the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats calling for transparency regarding foreign money in Reform's campaigns.

Sources

• The Guardian
  Forgetful Farage shares rose-tinted memories of Reform’s party conference | John Crace
• BBC
  Police launch criminal investigation into Reform UK donations
• politico.eu
  Poll-axed
• CNN
  Police launch investigation into allegations Britain’s hard-right Reform UK party broke campaign finance law

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• The New York Times
  British Police Expand Investigation Into Reform U.K. After Undercover Sting