The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal probe into claims Reform UK breaching party donation rules with potential illegal foreign funding.
Allegations that the party arranged illegal donations overshadowed the party’s conference in Birmingham last week and led to the resignation on Friday of Nigel Farage’s chief of staff and longtime aide Dan Jukes, as well as policy director James Orr.
It came after video footage obtained by Channel 4 and investigative group Verbatim appeared to show senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources.
The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.
Foreign companies are not a permissible source of funding for parties, including for payments for studies and research, and accepting donations from them could constitute a criminal offence.
Nigel Farage has insisted Reform UK has “broken no laws” and has not “taken any dodgy money” in relation to the claims.Rival parties reported Reform to the police over claims and detectives confirmed on Wednesday that they had “determined that there are potential offences requiring investigation”.
Dan Jukes
Dan Jukes, who has been Mr Farage’s right hand man for years, was serving as the party’s long-term media chief when he stepped down from his role. A long-term aide to the Reform leader, he has had the job title of director of communications since the age of 19.
He has worked alongside Mr Farage on and off for more than a decade, including during his time in the European parliament and as part of Leave.EU, the unofficial Brexit campaign.
Dr James Orr
Dr James Orr is a senior adviser to Mr Farage who was appointed as Reform UK’s head of policy in April.
He is a theologian who serves as an associate professor of the philosophy of religion at Cambridge University.
Dr Orr has faced criticism for his policies and ideas, many of which have been influenced by Christian nationalism. For example, he has previously argued that marriage is best for children when it is between a man and a woman, as well as describing Britain’s abortion laws as “extreme”.
And before taking over as the head of policy, Dr Orr told Reform’s conference last year that Britain should establish an equivalent to Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
What are the allegations Reform is facing?
Mr Jukes was filmed meeting a man posing as the British-based son of a rich American businessman and was heard appearing to suggest a way to get around electoral law to secure a foreign donation of £500,000 for Reform UK, according to undercover filming broadcast by Channel 4.
A reporter posing as the son of the wealthy American donor is filmed standing outside a pub in Westminster raising a concern to Mr Jukes that his father wouldn’t be able to directly donate to the party within the law.
Responding, Mr Jukes said: “You do realise that you can do it?” – which appears to be a suggestion that the donation could be made in the UK-based son’s name, while the money would have actually come from his American father.
“Actually that does strike me as a solution,” Mr Jukes added, before claiming they have done it several times before in exchanges bleeped out but which appear to refer to other instances where this mechanism had been used before.
“That’s one of the ways in which we do it,” he is recorded as saying.
Channel 4 also broadcast footage reportedly filmed later at a lunch in Clacton, Mr Farage’s constituency, which included both the reporter posing as the UK-based son and an actor playing his American father. Opposite them are Mr Jukes and Reform leader Nigel Farage.
The son is heard telling Mr Farage he has been in discussions with both Mr Jukes and Mr Orr about the donation for some time, to which Mr Farage responds that “it’s all above board”.
“I’ll be the registered donor,” the son says. “But then dad will send the money to me, and then as soon as that’s done and all those conversations are had the money is available.”
“Thank you. Well, both of you. Thank you,” Mr Farage is heard saying.
What has Reform said?
In the wake of the investigation being broadcast, Reform hit back saying the party had been “the target of a hoax”. Nigel Farage defended Reform UK, insisting “nothing illegal” has happened.
In an interview with LBC, Mr Farage said: “The party has broken no laws. The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever.“However, it is a clear case of entrapment, and they worked at it for a very, very long time, and they got a couple of our contractors to say things that perhaps should not have been said.
“And as a result of that, you know, they have been removed this morning. And yeah, you know, I’m not happy about it.”
A spokesperson said: “Reform UK has been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists posing as would-be party donors. The party denies any wrongdoing.
“Reform UK has a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission.
“The hoaxers are ‘Verbatim Investigations’; a new company, incorporated in July 2026 in an attempt to mask their true identity: the Center for Climate Reporting (CCR).
“The methods of its founder, Lawrence Carter, have previously been rebuked by members of the United States Congress for videos [that] appear to be substantially edited, creating an incomplete record of the conversation.”
Later, the party announced it had sacked both Mr Jukes and Mr Orr, with party chairman Lee Anderson saying there is “no chance” of them returning to their roles.