Two key aides to Nigel Farage have stepped down from their positions pending an investigation into allegations of an illegal donation sting. James Orr, head of policy, and Dan Jukes, assistant to the leader, are standing aside while the allegations are examined.
The controversy comes as Reform UK holds its annual conference in Birmingham, an event where leader Nigel Farage aims to boost the party's standing amid flagging poll numbers. The allegations center on claims made by Channel 4 News that Reform UK accepted funding from a U.S. firm for three polls commissioned earlier this year, totaling £32,500.
Further reports indicate that senior Reform figures, including Farage, discussed a potential £500,000 donation from a U.S. businessman, communicated through his son residing in the UK. The purported donors were, in fact, undercover reporters from the investigative group Verbatim, posing as the businessman and his son.
A spokesperson for Reform UK stated that the party has launched an investigation following the Channel 4 News broadcast. "Both individuals involved have stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation," the spokesperson said. "The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing."
Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson told Sky News that there was "no chance" of the two aides returning to the party, describing their stepping down as the "right thing to do" to remove a distraction from the conference. However, deputy leader Richard Tice told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it was too early to say whether they would return, stating, "Let's wait and see what the investigation says."
Foreign political donations are prohibited in the UK. The notes indicate that the donation in question was never made. The Liberal Democrats have formally written to the Metropolitan Police and the Electoral Commission regarding the matter. The Labour party has also reported the allegations to the police, and the Green party has called for a probe.
"The breach raises alarming questions about whether there has been a wider complacency toward foreign interference by the individuals involved," wrote Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesman Lisa Smart in a letter to the Metropolitan Police.
Richard Tice denied that the party had broken any laws concerning impermissible donations, asserting that "no money has been received whatsoever" and citing legal opinion suggesting no rules were broken. He also stated that "no benefit in kind was received."
Farage is scheduled to deliver speeches at the conference, where he is expected to outline plans to declare a "national emergency" upon taking office, introduce extensive legislation, and prioritize ending small boat crossings in the Channel. He is also expected to announce a policy of dismissing frontbenchers who fail to deliver on their pledges.