Nigel Farage blamed “loose pub talk” for his party being rocked by allegations that it breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Senior Reform officials James Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down and the party has launched an investigation after a report broadcast by Channel 4 News claimed Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500.
Mr Farage hit back at “far left activists” for targeting Reform figures, saying the sting operation that led to the resignation of two senior party figures was an “exercise in entrapment”.
He suggested that his former right hand man Mr Jukes was guilty of “loose pub talk”.
The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.
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.
Read MoreReform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
Reform given another £4m from crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump
UK poll tracker: Nigel Farage’s Reform slips in polls as party’s conference starts
Key Points
- Reform UK reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
- Farage says Reform has done nothing wrong
- 'We are in touch with the Met Police' - Electoral Commission statement
- Dan Jukes and James Orr step down as Reform launches investigation
- The two Nigel Farage allies forced to quit over bombshell undercover sting on Reform
- Analysis: Reform’s new donation scandal proves Farage’s party is completely out of control
Banner saying 'Collect £5m, burn the planet' appears behind Rice during speech
16:35 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA banner has appeared behind Richard Tice reading “Collect £5 million, burn the planet” during his speech at the Reform UK party conference.
The banner, which also depicted Nigel Farage in a top hat and carrying a bag of money, remained visible for several minutes before being taken down.
Tice pledges to bring down energy bills by £250
16:31 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRichard Tice has pledged to bring down the average annual household energy bill by £250 in the first 100 days of a Reform government.
He added the country is “overtaxed and over-regulated”.
Richard Tice takes the stage
16:24 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRichard Tice is now speaking at the Reform UK conference.
The party’s deputy leader started his speech saying he is “used to fixing things”.
GB News presenter says there is one election left to 'save the country'
16:18 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGB News presenter and former Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin told delegates at the party’s conference that he believes there is one general election left to “save this country”.
He said millions of people feel that there is “a sense that if we don’t change the direction of this country soon, then the country we love will soon be unrecognisable”.
“I believe we only have one general election left to save this country,” he added.
Mr Goodwin added that the Tories have “completely betrayed” the British people by replacing the best and brightest in the country with “drug-dealing goat herders”.
He told delegates: “The Tories imported millions of low-wage, low-skilled, poorly educated migrants from radically different cultures outside Europe, including illiterate goat herders from Iraq, who moved to Aberystwyth, who set up a drug-dealing ring and terrorised local people by selling crack cocaine and heroin.”
He added that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are “code words for anti-white racism”.
Farage announces 'new entente cordiale' between Reform and National Rally
15:55 , Maryam Zakir-HussainNigel Farage announced a “new entente cordiale” with France’s right-wing National Rally party as he pledged to work together to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
The deal, signed by Mr Farage and National Rally president Jordan Bardella at the Reform conference on Friday, commits the two parties to co-operate on returning migrants to France.
The Reform UK leader referenced the early 20th century treaties between the UK and France to signify the close relations between his party and Mr Bardella’s if both win their next national elections.
France is due to hold its next presidential election in April. National Rally has led in polling since March last year.
Mr Bardella’s predecessor, Marine le Pen, is due to be the party’s candidate for president of France.
She previously led the National Front party.
Watch: Farage says 'someone missing' from Reform conference in tribute to Ann Widdecombe
15:45 , Dan HaygarthComment: The end of Nigel Farage is nigh… again
15:30 , Dan HaygarthMired in a new donations scandal, the Reform leader has become the Sisyphus of British politics, enjoying the success of pushing the rock up the mountain, only to crash again, says John Rentoul.
The end of Nigel Farage is nigh… again
Body of the first president of France, Napoleon III, could be repatriated to France if Farage becomes PM
15:13 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage has indicated that the body of the first president of France, Napoleon III, could be repatriated to France if he becomes prime minister.
Napoleon III, who was president between 1848 and 1852 and then emperor until 1870, was exiled in the United Kingdom after defeat in the Franco-Prussian war.
He died in 1873 and is buried in St Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough.
Speaking at a press conference alongside French politician and National Rally president Jordan Bardella, Mr Farage hinted there could be legal difficulties, but added: “If they want him, I think they can have him.”
Farage expresses disappointment at long-term adviser Dan Jukes stepping down
14:54 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage said he is disappointed to lose his former long-term adviser Dan Jukes amid allegations about Reform UK’s finances.
Responding to a question at a press conference at the party’s annual get-together in Birmingham, Mr Farage said: “I don’t like it at all. I’ve worked with Dan very closely for many years, many, many years, and I described it as loose pub talk, and that’s what it was, because what he said simply wasn’t true.
“He got put into a position and he should never have said what he did.
!I believe the investigation will find he should never have said one or two of the things that he said.”
What time is Nigel Farage expected to speak today?
14:47 , Dan HaygarthTimings have been delayed but the Reform leader’s speech is expected at 4.20pm, Sky News reports.
'A bit of jack-the-lad-dery going on', Farage says
14:39 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage said he is “annoyed” undercover reporters were able to meet him and said Reform UK needs to professionalise after the Channel 4 story.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Farage said: “We have not taken an illegal penny in funding, that is important. The loose pub talk, frankly, there was a bit of boasting, a bit of jack-the-lad-dery going on there.
“If it was more serious than that, then I refer you back to the BBC’s question earlier, the names would have been put onto the programme and there would be a hell of a row. They don’t exist. Those donations don’t exist.
“Am I annoyed? Am I annoyed that these people even got to meet me? Yes, I am. It should not have happened. It should not have happened.
“The two individuals involved (Dan Jukes and James Orr) are not even part of our fundraising team, so they should have gone through the appropriate channels. Checks would have been made, and they would never, ever have got to sit down at a table with with me.
“So do we need to do better as we professionalise? Yes, absolutely we do. So yeah, there was certainly human error here and of that there’s no question.”
Farage says he didn't give the offer of foreign donations ‘a second thought’
14:37 , Millie Cooke in BirminghamAsked about his involvement in the footage broadcast by Channel 4, which shows him thanking the undercover reporter for their donations, Mr Farage said he is “not particularly worried” about anything he said.
“I was in the middle of the by-election. I was told I had to go meet these people. I didn't have to, but I did.
“I was told they had a family trust, a global family trust headquartered in London, is what I was told. I asked - if you look at the video - I asked the question: Is this all above board? I asked the question: Has all this been legally checked?
“I'm not an expert at how family trusts work. Are you? I've no idea. Honestly, even now, I've no idea how this works.
“So look, you know, I go to a lunch. I'm in the in the middle of something. I ask the question of the people around the table: Is this legit? Is it right? I'm told it is. They say they're going to give us money. I say thank you. I basically didn't give it a second thought.”
Farage admits Reform ‘needs to do better’
14:28 , Millie Cooke in BirminghamNigel Farage has admitted Reform UK does “need to do better” when it comes to professionalising the party, but he dismissed the investigation as “a bunch of far-left activists who have perpetuated hoaxes for many many years”.
But he added: “Do we need to do better? Yes absolutely we do.”
Farage emphasises Reform has 'broken no law'
14:24 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage told the press conference: “Reform has broken no law, and we take compliance around donations very, very seriously.
“And I think - well, I think all political parties now need to take compliance seriously, particularly as there's no choice, and we know that our donations will be looked at with more scrutiny than anybody else's. So that is really all I'm going to say on this subject.”
Farage hits back at “far left activists” over Channel 4 sting
14:23 , Millie Cooke in BirminghamNigel Farage has hit back at “far left activists” for targeting Reform figures, saying the sting operation that led to the resignation of two senior party figures was an “exercise in entrapment”.
He accusing the broadcaster of “heavily editing” the videos that were broadcast and claimed “there is literally no issue of any kind around the polling”.
The Reform leader also suggested that his former right hand man Dan Jukes was guilty of “loose pub talk”.
Asked about sections of the Channel 4 documentary that were bleeped out - suggesting they had taken more than one illicit donation - Mr Farage said: “What is more problematic is loose pub talk including a couple of boasts that were simply not true. So in the video, when he says ‘we've done it with X, we've done it with Y.’
“Well, the reason Channel 4 haven't broadcast the names of X and Y is because it isn't true.
“Donations from the names that were mentioned have not occurred.”
Farage and Bardella arrive for press conference
14:18 , Millie Cooke in BirminghamNigel Farage and Jordan Bardella have arrived for a joint press conference where they will be setting out a “memorandum of understanding” between their two parties.
Memorandum of understanding on small boats signed by Reform and National Rally
14:18 , Dan Haygarth
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage (R) joins Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally on stage during the signing of a memorandum of understanding on small boats.
Zia Yusuf uses conference speech to make promises on immigration
14:09 , Dan Haygarth
Zia Yusuf told the Reform UK conference he would ensure Britain had “the most secure borders on Earth” as he reiterated his promises on immigration.
The Reform home affairs spokesman repeated his party’s promises to deploy the Royal Navy to prevent small boat crossings in the Channel and deport anyone who entered the UK illegally.
In his speech to the Reform conference, Mr Yusuf said: “We will go from having open borders to the most secure borders on Earth.
“We will launch the largest mass deportation operation in modern history, removing every foreign national who entered this country illegally.
“We will immediately end the early release of violent criminals, rapidly expand our prison capacity and deport all 10,000 foreign criminals currently burdening our prisons.
“And if their own countries refuse to take them, we will send them to serve their sentences in countries like El Salvador.”
Press conference held by Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella
14:05 , Millie Cooke in BirminghamToday’s press conference is a joint conference hosted by Reform UK and the French National Rally.
Members of the media have been given headsets to translate Jordan Bardella’s words from French into English.
'Memorandum of understanding' on reporters' seats at press conference
13:57 , Millie Cooke in Birmingham
Journalists arrived at a press conference held by Nigel Farage to find a “memorandum of understanding” on their seats. The document is a signed agreement between Nigel Farage and the leader of French right wing party National Rally to stop illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
The document says the two counties “commit to pursuing a restrictive national immigration policy that puts an end to any incentive for illegal immigration”.
“When an illegal migrant arrives in the United Kingdom from France, they will be immediately detained and deported to their home country without the ability to claim asylum given they will have passed through safe countries on their way to the United Kingdom.”
French National Rally said it would work with a Reform government to stop France being a 'gateway' for small boats
13:49 , Dan HaygarthJordan Bardella has said his National Rally party will work with the UK government to stop France being a “gateway” for small boats to the UK.
Speaking at Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham, Mr Bardella said: “Dear friends here in Birmingham, I make you this promise. If the French people bring us to power in 2027 in a few months, with the Rassemblement National and Marine le Pen, our government will do everything in its power to ensure that France is no longer the gateway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom.”
He added: “The destination of illegal migrants entering France should not be the United Kingdom, they should be returned to their countries of origin.”
He continued: “We must put an end to these deadly routes, we must break the smuggler business model and together we must take control of our borders.”
Summer small boat crossings to the UK were lower this year than they have been since 2020, which is six years ago.
Government data on small boat crossings shows that in the year to the end of August 16,513 people have been detected crossing the English Channel on small boats.
For the prior four years that figure had not dipped below 20,000 at this point in the year. It was last lower in 2021 when it was 12,482.
Summer can be defined in more than one way. The Met Office defines meteorological summer as running from 1 June to 31 August 31 while astronomical summer starts around 21 June and ends around 22 September.
The Government data shows crossings were 48.1 per cent lower in the meteorological summer of 2026 than the year before at 7,371. So far in astrological summer – which has not yet ended – crossings are down 48.4 per cent to 5,769.
'The media are coming for us', Lee Anderson says
13:31 , Dan HaygarthReform UK’s party chairman Lee Anderson has claimed “the media are coming for us” amid more allegations the party breached political donation rules.
Speaking to delegates at Reform’s party conference in Birmingham, he said: “Have you noticed that the media are coming for us? Has anybody noticed that?
“They came for Nigel (Farage) and they’ve failed. They came for Richard (Tice) and they’ve failed.
“And now they’re coming for the rest of us. But we will not be defeated. We will stick together.”
Burnham's personal lead over Farage increases in latest poll
13:23 , Dan HaygarthAndy Burnham's lead over his key opponents on who would make the better PM has grown further over the last month
— YouGov (@YouGov) September 4, 2026
Burnham: 52% (+4 from 23-24 Jul)
Farage: 22% (=)
Burnham: 42% (+4)
Badenoch: 26% (=)
Burnham: 50% (+5)
Polanski: 8% (-1)
Burnham: 44% (+3)
Davey: 9% (+1) pic.twitter.com/Eq6mfyMt7B
Anderson: 'We will not be defeated by the media'
12:59 , Harriette BoucherLee Anderson has taken a swipe at the press following Channel 4’s donations sting.
He seemingly hinted to the undercover investigation, telling his party’s conference that the media were “coming for the rest of us”.
“Have you noticed that the media are coming for us? Has anybody noticed that?
“They came for Nigel and they failed, they came for Richard and they failed, and now they’re coming for the rest of us,” he said.
“We will not be defeated. We will stick together and we will beat them.”
Reform media hostility increases as Zia Yusuf pulls out of event
12:52 , Political editor David MaddoxReform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf has pulled out of a Spectator fringe event following complaints of unfair coverage.
His interview with former cabinet minister turned Spectator editor Michael Gove was due to be one of the highlights of the conference fringe in Birmingham.
The decision comes amid growing tensions between Reform and the media over recent coverage of scandals involving senior party members including Nigel Farage.
Already a number of journalists had been banned from entering the conference.
Farage says 'someone missing' from Reform conference in tribute to Ann Widdecombe
12:39 , Harriette BoucherReform wants to boot out ‘money-grabbing’ government
12:33 , Harriette BoucherReform wants to boot out the “money-grabbing” Labour government at the next election, it has said.
‘We are going to boot out this incompetent, money grabbing, dystopian Labour government,” David Bull, the party’s former deputy leader said.
“Not only must we win the general election, we must also be prepared to hit the ground running in that first 100 days.”
TUC pokes fun at Farage after his officials step down
12:26 , Harriette BoucherZia Yusuf pulls out of fringe event following complaints of unfair coverage
12:25 , Harriette BoucherZia Yusuf has reportedly pulled out of a Spectator fringe event at the Reform conference following complaints of unfair coverage, accoding to Daily Mail’s political editor.
The home affairs spokesman was due to sit down with editor Michael Gove at 3pm today.
In what was supposed to be one of the highlights of the conference, the pair were going to discuss “Reform's ambitions for government”.
Farage says 'someone missing' from Reform conference in tribute to Ann Widdecombe
12:19 , Harriette BoucherNigel Farage has kicked off his conference speech with a tribute to the late Ann Widdecombe.
“Someone is missing,” he said. “The irrepressible, unique, totally extraordinary Ann Widdecombe is missing.
“We thought the only appropriate way to start this conference was to pay tribute to Ann.
“She was, in my opinion, the best known female politician in Britain since Margaret Thatcher.
“Ann Widdecombe didn’t need autocue, she didn’t need notes, she took to the stage with a microphone and she bashed out the message.
“She said things not to court short-term popularity, she said things that she believed truly and deeply in her heart.”
He also spoke about her time on Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing, and her ability to laugh at herself.
“Her political association with me started in 2019,” he added.
Pollster claims Reform have not peaked and could get 40 per cent of vote
12:11 , Political editor David MaddoxMore in Common director Luke Tryl has addressed a fringe meeting at the Reform conference in Birmingham and offered a little hope to the embattled party.
According to Mr Tryl there are “a sizeable amount of Reform considerers” and if all of them voted Reform they could get “between 37 and 40 per cent in a general election.”
However, he noted that the party is in a worse state than a year ago because the vote on the right “has fractured” and is “no longer dominated by Reform.”
“Some have gone to Restore Britain and some back to the Conservatives,” he noted.
His comments reflected a fall by about 10 points in the polls from a year ago with Mr Farage now under investigation over donations.
However, he warned that a deal with Rupert Lowe’s restore Britain or Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives would see a fall in the Reform vote.
He warned: “If they do a deal with Restore they lose traditional Conservative voters but if they do a deal with the Conservatives they lose 2024 Reform voters.”
He also questioned whether they have peaked as a party despite the slide in the polls.
“My answer is that a better way to look at this is to look at the core drivers support for Reform, which is lack of trust in politics, which is a sense that those positions of power do not understand how the social contract works. None of those fundamentals have gone away.”
Dorries calls on Reform supporters to rally around Farage
12:06 , Dan HaygarthFormer Conservative minister Nadine Dorries said Reform UK supporters needed to unite around Nigel Farage following the new allegations about the party’s finances.
She told a fringe event at the Reform conference: “Public enemy number one to the Conservative Party, Labour, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats and almost every organisation within the establishment is Nigel Farage.
“You are going to see stings and attacks like you did today… you are going to see that repeatedly.”
She added: “What Reform now needs is for the British public to realise, to see this sting for what it is, to understand that more of it will be coming.”
Ms Dorries, who defected to Reform a year ago, said: “Everyone needs to unite and to stand behind Nigel Farage and we need to support him with what he is going to be going through at the moment.”
Watch: Two senior Reform UK figures step down after Channel 4 undercover investigation
12:00 , Dan HaygarthAnalysis: Reform’s new donation scandal proves Farage’s party is completely out of control
11:39 , David MaddoxThe hubris of Nigel Farage and senior figures in Reform appears to have finally caught up with them – and this time it could be fatal for their chances of winning an election.
The debacle, which played out on Channel 4 last night, saw Nigel Farage and two of his closest aides caught on video seemingly celebrating a potentially illegal foreign donation after a sting operation exposed the sheer dysfunction within Reform UK.
Reform’s new donation scandal proves Farage’s party is completely out of control
Speeches on main hall at Reform conference delayed today
11:32 , Dan HaygarthSpeeches on the main stage at the Reform UK party conference have been delayed by an hour.
The delay is understood to be because of long queues for delegates to get into the venue at Birmingham’s NEC.
Reform given another £4m from crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump
11:28 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage’s party has received another £4m from a British crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump.
The donation brings the total given by Ben Delo, who previously announced he was moving back to Britain to help "build a war chest" for Reform to fight the next election, to £8m.
The businessman was convicted in the US four years ago over failings in an anti-money laundering programme in his business, before being pardoned by the US president.
Read more:
Reform given another £4m from crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump
Watch: Nigel Farage meets with undercover reporters posing as party donors
11:12 , Dan HaygarthDan Jukes claims he was subject of 'entrapment'
11:00 , Dan HaygarthDan Jukes, Nigel Farage’s long-serving aide who has quit over allegations of an electoral law breach, has claimed he was the subject of “entrapment”.
Undercover footage from reporting group Verbatim aired by Channel 4 showed Mr Jukes suggesting a way to get around political donation rules to secure a £500,000 foreign donation for Reform UK.
Mr Jukes said: “This was entrapment over a prolonged period of nearly a year by foreign-funded climate change activists.
“I totally deny any wrongdoing but have stepped back from politics in order to clear my name.”
What are the allegations Reform is facing?
10:49 , Dan HaygarthMr 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.”
The two Nigel Farage allies forced to quit over bombshell undercover sting on Reform
10:36 , Millie CookeTwo of Nigel Farage’s key allies have been forced to quit their roles in Reform UK after a bombshell undercover sting operation sparked allegations they breached political donation rules.
James Orr and Dan Jukes stepped down from Reform and an investigation has been launched, a party spokesperson said on Friday morning, a day after the party’s conference kicked off in Birmingham.
Rival parties have reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.
Read more:
The two Nigel Farage allies forced to quit over bombshell undercover sting on Reform
'We are in touch with the Met Police' - Electoral Commission statement in full
10:22 , Dan HaygarthThe Electoral Commission said it was not responsible for approving Reform UK’s or any other party’s donor vetting process.
It came after Nigel Farage’s party said it had a “robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission”.
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “We are considering all relevant information, in line with our regulatory remit, and we are in touch with the Met Police.
“The Electoral Commission has not approved the donor vetting process for Reform, or any other party. Parties are responsible for ensuring their internal processes and controls are fit for purpose.
“We provide advice and guidance to political parties on how to comply with electoral law.
“The law requires political parties to report all permissible donations they accept with a value over £11,180 and all impermissible donations over £500.
“Information about any potential attempt to evade the controls on donations is for the police to consider.”
Electoral Commission talking to the Metropolitan Police, The Times reports
10:18 , Dan HaygarthSteven Swinford, political editor at The Times, reports that the regulator is talking to the Metropolitan Police regarding the allegations Reform is facing.
Breaking:
— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) September 4, 2026
The Electoral Commission says it is talking to the Metropolitan Police after two senior allies of Nigel Farage were filmed secretly plotting for a foreign donor to pay £32,500 for off-the-books polling on behalf of the party
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said:…
Watch: Nigel Farage insists Reform has done ‘nothing wrong’
09:55 , Dan HaygarthFarage accuses other parties of 'selling peerages' when asked about Reform being reported to police
09:42 , Dan HaygarthAsked about Labour and the Lib Dems reporting Reform UK to the police over the donations, Nigel Farage accused other political parties of “selling peerages” for donations.
He told LBC: “The Labour Party and the Conservative Party have been selling peerages for years in return for political donations. Political donations leading to big government contracts.
“In the world of political funding, all sorts of things have been done over decades that are wrong. We as a party have done nothing wrong. A couple of our contractors have said things that shouldn’t have been said.
“Labour can say what they like, of course they can, and they will and they do.
“But no, I promise you, the polling is not even an issue. Nothing. The party has not done anything wrong, but entrapped conversations don’t look good, and that’s why we’ve taken the action we have.”
Farage said lunch meeting has 'nothing to do with' Reform UK
09:13 , Dan HaygarthQuestioned about a lunch he took part in with undercover reporters alongside Dan Jukes in Clacton, Nigel Farage said the meeting has “nothing to do with” Reform UK.
He told LBC: “If you listen to what I said, I said, is this all above board? Is this all legal? I’ve been told it was a global family office based in London. And by the way, I was in the middle of a Clacton by-election. I turned up to see people. I knew nothing about them whatsoever. I meet people all the time.”
A report broadcast by Channel 4 News claimed Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, leading to allegations the party breached donation rules.
But Mr Farage said the polls in question were commissioned by an independent third party.
He added: “Whilst the poll benefited Reform, it wasn’t commissioned by Reform.
“It had nothing to do with Reform. It was an independent third party that did it. So that’s nothing. That’s nothing. Polls are funded by overseas people every single week. Every single week.”
Watch: 'There's a pattern of behaviour we're seeing with Reform UK', education secretary says
09:06 , Dan HaygarthBREAKING: Farage says Reform has done nothing wrong
08:51 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage said Reform has done “nothing wrong” following allegations they breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
The party leader told LBC everything was “above board”, adding that there was “nothing illegal”, insisting that "no illegal transaction occurred".
The Reform leader said the two men had to resign because they became 'entrapped', but said the conversations "don't look good".
The Clacton MP added: "There's nothing illegal in that whatsoever... Polling can be paid for by anybody provided it is put into the public domain."
Labour and Lib Dems have reported Reform to the police
08:45 , Dan HaygarthRival parties had reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have reported the party to the police over the allegations.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK has launched an investigation following the broadcast of a Channel 4 News programme.
“Both individuals involved have stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing.”
It comes as Reform is gathering its members in Birmingham for the party’s annual conference, with Nigel Farage set to deliver his leader’s speech.
Tice denies Reform broke any laws
08:36 , Dan HaygarthReform’s deputy leader has denied that the party broke any laws regarding allegations about impermissible donations.
Richard Tice told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The reality is that no money has been received whatsoever.
“We’ve got a KC’s opinion that makes clear no rules have been broken.”
He later added that “no benefit in kind was received”.
'Very serious questions for Farage to answer', Ed Davey says
08:33 , Dan HaygarthSo much for this being a “hoax” then.
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) September 4, 2026
Clearly very serious questions for Farage to answer given his role in the meeting.
The buck stops with him. https://t.co/aq8ezYw9SU
Tice refuses to rule out Jukes and Orr returning in split from Anderson
08:28 , Dan HaygarthReform UK deputy leader Richard Tice did not rule out Dan Jukes and James Orr returning to the party, after chair Lee Anderson told Sky News there was “no chance” of them doing so.
Mr Orr and Mr Jukes have stepped down and the party has launched an investigation following allegations they breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Rival parties had reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.
When asked if Mr Orr and Mr Jukes could return, Mr Tice told BBC Radio 4 “let’s wait and see what the investigation says, that will take its course”.
'There's a pattern of behaviour we're seeing with Reform UK', education secretary says
08:13 , Dan HaygarthEducation secretary Lucy Powell said the positions of two Reform UK officials who stepped down as the party launched an investigation following allegations they breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company were “untenable”.
James Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down from Reform, a party spokesperson said.
Rival parties had reported the party to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.
Ms Powell told BBC Breakfast: “I think their (Mr Orr and Mr Jukes) positions were pretty untenable after the footage thatI saw involving them.
“But we (the Labour Party) have referred this matter to the police as well, because we think that from what we've seen in this package from Channel 4, that this is a clear breach of electoral law.”
The Manchester Central MP said it was “part of a pattern” now seen with Reform.
She added: “They're already under investigation for a very similar allegation of electoral law breach, of somebody else giving money on behalf of somebody else to avoid that scrutiny, which is against the law.
“And Nigel Farage himself is also under investigation from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for accepting a donation of £5m which he didn't declare.
“So, I think there's a pattern of behaviour we're seeing with Reform UK really thinking that these rules just don't apply to them.”
Watch: Reform UK advisors James Orr and Dan Jukes step down with 'no chance' of return
08:03 , Dan HaygarthDan Jukes and James Orr step down as Reform launches investigation
07:49 , David MaddoxJames Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down from their roles in Reform UK pending the outcome of an investigation by the party into a broadcast by Channel 4 News alleging they breached political donation rules, the party said.
A Reform UK spokesman said: "Reform UK has launched an investigation following the broadcast of a Channel 4 News programme.
"Both individuals involved have stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing."
Farage to address Reform conference as party reported to police over funding
07:35 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage will address the Reform UK conference on Friday as he faces further questions about his party’s finances.
The Reform leader is expected to pledge to make Parliament sit seven days a week in a bid to “fix” Britain in his speech to the party faithful at Birmingham’s NEC.
But his speech risks being overshadowed by allegations that Reform breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Rival parties have reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500.
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.
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson has called on Mr Farage and his team to “urgently prove” that they had not “broken the law and secretly plotted to undermine our democracy”.
In a letter to the Metropolitan Police, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said the allegations raised “alarming questions about whether there has been a wider complacency toward foreign interference by the individuals involved”.
Reform has denied any wrongdoing and insisted it has a “robust vetting process” for donors.
Reform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
07:23 , Dan HaygarthReform UK has been reported to the police over allegations it breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Nigel Farage’s party took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported.
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.
Reform claimed it was the victim of a hoax.
Read more below:
Reform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
What to expect from the Reform conference
06:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe two-day conference in Birmingham is expected to hear from senior Reform figures setting out their own pledges for their first 100 days in office, as well as an address from Jordan Bardella, leader of the French National Rally.
Nigel Farage is expected to announce that any frontbenchers who fail to achieve those targets “will be sacked”.
He is also due to make his own promise to focus on reducing the cost of living and lead on efforts to end small boat crossings in the Channel.
This summer saw the lowest number of crossings in six years, while the overall number for the year is at its lowest since 2021, but the subject remains a key issue with 16,513 people making the journey so far this year.
