Reform UK officials step down amid allegations of foreign donation scheme

Two senior officials of the Reform UK party resigned on Friday following a Channel 4 investigation that aired undercover footage of them discussing ways to receive donations from a purported U.S. financier. The video showed Dan Jukes allegedly negotiating a £500,000 contribution through the donor’s son, while James Orr discussed funding opinion polls with the same source, citing a lack of British-resident donors.

UK electoral law prohibits political parties from accepting donations from overseas individuals or entities, allowing only contributions from British voters or UK-registered businesses. The Electoral Commission said parties must report permissible donations over £11,180 and any impermissible donations over £500, and that any attempts to evade these rules could be referred to police.

Reform UK initially denied wrongdoing but later announced an internal probe, with Orr and Jukes stepping down pending its outcome. Orr said he would cooperate fully, and Jukes said he had stepped back to clear his name. Party leader Nigel Farage described the journalists’ tactics as "entrapment" and asserted the party had broken no laws.

The Labour Party has written to police requesting an investigation into possible criminal offences. The Metropolitan Police confirmed awareness of the allegations but have not launched a formal inquiry. The episode adds to a series of funding controversies surrounding Reform UK and its leader, which have coincided with a decline in the party’s poll standings.