Met police launch criminal investigation into Reform UK over foreign donations

The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Reform UK broke electoral law on foreign donations, following an undercover sting broadcast by Channel 4 News.

The investigation, announced on Monday, will be folded into an existing Met inquiry into Reform's funding that was opened earlier this year. Detectives said they had assessed information provided after the Channel 4 broadcast and determined that there were "potential offences requiring investigation" under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

The undercover operation was carried out by Verbatim, an investigative group founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting. Reporters posed as a wealthy American businessman and his UK-based son, infiltrating the heart of Reform UK for nearly a year.

The footage showed two of Nigel Farage's closest aides, Dan Jukes and James Orr, appearing to discuss ways to get around electoral law. Jukes, Farage's long-time communications chief, was filmed suggesting that a £500,000 donation from an American donor could be funnelled through the donor's UK-based son, a route that would be illegal. He also appeared to claim the party had used similar methods before.

Orr, Reform's head of policy, was filmed discussing how a US company could secretly pay for opinion polls commissioned by the party. Three polls costing more than £32,000 were paid for by the undercover team, and the results appeared in national newspapers without the funding source being disclosed.

Nigel Farage himself was filmed meeting the undercover team in his Clacton constituency in July, thanking them for funding the polls and describing the results as "bang for buck". In one exchange, the fake donors outlined a plan for the American father to send money to his UK-based son, who would then donate to Reform. Farage replied: "Thank you. Both of you, thank you."

Both Jukes and Orr stepped down from their roles the morning after the Channel 4 broadcast. Reform initially dismissed the investigation as a "hoax" by "foreign-funded climate change activists", but then announced an internal investigation and the suspension of the two aides.

Farage has denied any wrongdoing, describing the comments in the footage as "loose pub talk" and "injudicious at best". He told the BBC he was "not a compliance officer" and that he "frankly wasn't even listening" during the lunch with the undercover reporters. He also said his family had urged him to quit politics this summer.

The controversy overshadowed Reform's annual conference in Birmingham, which was meant to be a reset moment for the party. Farage's keynote speech was delayed by a security scare and interrupted by protesters. The party did manage to announce policies including raising the income tax personal allowance to £15,000 and a deal with French National Rally leader Jordan Bardella to return small boats to France.

The Met investigation adds to the pressure on Reform. The party is already facing a separate criminal investigation into donations from Fiona Cottrell, the mother of convicted fraudster George Cottrell, and a parliamentary standards inquiry into a £5 million gift to Farage from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.

Separately, a Sky News investigation has revealed allegations of infighting and bullying within Reform's flagship Durham council, which the party won in May 2025. Four former councillors have spoken on camera about what they describe as toxic leadership and chaos. Reform dismissed the claims as "misleading and malicious", saying the former councillors had been suspended for bullying and employing illegal workers.