Farage defiant as Reform aides step down over foreign donations sting
Dan Jukes, the leader's senior aide, and James Orr, the party’s head of policy, have stepped down from their roles while the party conducts an internal investigation.
Two senior officials in Nigel Farage's populist party Reform UK have resigned over allegations of accepting foreign donations, despite the leader denying any wrongdoing. Dan Jukes, the party's senior aide, and James Orr, the head of policy, have been suspended while the organization investigates the claims. Farage maintains that Reform UK has not received any foreign funds and dismissed the accusations as "boasts" and "loose talk."
The controversy stems from an investigative documentary aired on UK channel 4 by Verbatim, a non-profit journalism group. The documentary alleges that Reform UK broke UK laws on foreign donations by allegedly receiving funds from an American donor. The film shows reporters posing as party supporters discussing ways to bypass donation rules, culminating in a meeting with Farage and his aides.
In the secretly recorded conversation, Jukes suggests a solution for the donor to contribute through his father's money, while Orr implies that a large donation could secure a meeting with Farage. Farage, appearing in the documentary, stated that his party had not taken illegal funds and dismissed his staff's comments as "jack-the-laddery."
The scandal has sparked calls from major UK political parties for an investigation, with Labour referring the matter to the Metropolitan Police. Farage is also facing an independent probe by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after it was revealed he failed to declare a multi-million pound donation from a Thai crypto billionaire in 2024.
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