Reform Reported to Police Over £500,000 Foreign Funding Allegations as 2 Senior Aides Step Down
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 4
Reform Reported to Police Over £500,000 Foreign Funding Allegations as 2 Senior Aides Step Down
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 4
Summary
Reform was reported to police as its annual conference opened, escalating allegations that party figures sought to use foreign money to fund political activity.
Channel 4 News aired undercover footage in which Dan Jukes appeared to discuss getting around electoral law for a £500,000 foreign donation, while separate allegations involved more than £30,000 in polling paid for by a US company.
James Orr and Jukes stepped down pending an internal investigation, with party chair Lee Anderson saying Jukes was "gone" and had no chance of returning.
The footage also showed Orr saying Reform lacked British-resident donors or British entities willing to support it, sharpening scrutiny of the party's funding sources.
The episode deepens pressure on Nigel Farage and threatens to overshadow the Birmingham conference, following earlier controversy over an undeclared £5 million gift linked to a Thai-based crypto billionaire.