Two Reform UK officials resign amid donation breach reports
A Channel 4 report alleges that the party officials accepted foreign donations to fund three polls, illegal under the UK's electoral law. The allegations, which the party denies, come amid its annual conference.
The Reform UK party's annual conference in Birmingham is currently marred by a scandal alleging the party breached electoral laws by accepting foreign donations, according to a Channel 4 report. Two senior officials, James Orr and Dan Jukes, have resigned in response to the allegations, and the party has announced an internal investigation.
Reform UK denies wrongdoing, with leader Nigel Farage asserting that no illegal activities occurred. The controversy stems from a report suggesting that the party arranged for a US company to pay over £30,000 for three opinion polls commissioned by the party. The donors were undercover reporters from an independent organization called Verbatim, which is founded by journalists from the Center for Climate Reporting.
According to the investigation, the donors were not party members, so the payments did not constitute donations. Orr, the party's head of policy, claimed that Reform had not been involved in commissioning the polls. Farage, who is set to address the conference, maintains that the party has broken no laws and is a victim of entrapment.
The scandal has overshadowed the party's conference, which aimed to boost its popularity amid recent declines, including a controversy over a £5 million undeclared donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
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