Farage donor scandal turns spotlight on UK polling industry
Former employees and clients of JL Partners say there have been other instances of funders not being declared.
The British polling industry is under scrutiny following a scandal involving the Reform UK party, which has led to the resignation of two senior party aides. The controversy centers around donations from undercover reporters posing as a wealthy American benefactor and his son, used to fund high-impact polls that were released without disclosing the funding source.
The influential opinion research firm JL Partners, founded by James Johnson, was implicated in these practices. Since the sting video aired, former employees and clients have reported that JL Partners conducted other polls where the funder was not declared, and similar lapses have happened at other well-known British polling companies.
The British Polling Council, which oversees the industry, has stated that all research entering the public domain must include information about the client commissioning the survey, among other details. JL Partners did not respond to requests for comment on these allegations, but Channel 4 News reported that the company acknowledged "weaknesses in our procedures."
The British Polling Council is seeking further information from JL Partners, which is under investigation by the Met Police.
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