Nigel Farage has stated that a "bad period" for his Reform UK party is over, asserting that he has regained his family's support after a period of intense scrutiny over party donations. The Reform UK leader admitted that recent months had been "difficult," revealing that for the first time in his political career, his family had urged him to quit.
Farage's remarks came as his party's annual conference in Birmingham was overshadowed by an undercover sting broadcast on Channel 4. The report appeared to show senior aide Dan Jukes and Reform's head of policy James Orr suggesting methods to circumvent electoral law regarding foreign donations, including one potentially totaling £500,000. Both aides have since stood down pending an internal investigation. Reform UK denies any wrongdoing, stating the party has not received illegal funds.
An additional layer of scrutiny involves an ongoing Commons standards investigation into a £5 million donation to Reform UK from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Despite the challenges, Farage told the BBC that he had not been tempted to resign. "When you've got your family begging you to, it's not easy. But I think we're through that now. I believe we're through that bad period," he said. Farage suggested that the public understands he faces "unusual circumstances." He claimed he was not paying attention during his meeting with the individuals in the undercover filming, stating he was only there to greet them. He also criticized the suspended advisers for not conducting proper vetting before bringing potential donors to him.
In an interview with GB News, Farage characterized the sting operation as part of a "co-ordinated attempt" by political parties and media outlets to damage Reform UK's reputation. He cited his recent election in Clacton, where he secured a significantly increased majority, as evidence that voters are not swayed by such efforts.
The Electoral Commission has faced calls to seize hard drives from Reform UK in connection with the undercover filming, which was conducted by Verbatim Investigations. If a criminal investigation is launched by the police, the Electoral Commission has the power under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000) to obtain information and potentially confiscate equipment from the party's headquarters. The act defines offenses related to money transferred for the benefit of a party, which could encompass study or research organized on its behalf.
Both the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have reported the allegations to the Metropolitan Police, who stated they would assess the matter. Conservative MP Joe Robertson called for an immediate investigation by the Electoral Commission and the police to preserve evidence. Conservative MP Charlie Dewhirst raised questions about the identities of other individuals who may have provided potentially illegal donations, according to Mr. Jukes.