The Metropolitan Police have initiated a criminal investigation into Reform UK following allegations that the political party breached foreign funding regulations. The probe, launched by the Met's Special Enquiry Team, follows an undercover television broadcast that aired last week. Detectives are examining whether the party violated laws designed to prevent foreign money from entering British politics.
This new investigation is being merged into an active, ongoing inquiry that was already looking into separate donations made to Reform UK. The development comes after Channel 4 News and Verbatim Investigations broadcast footage on Thursday evening, prompting the police to act. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that the force had received "a number of reports relating to donations and polling involving a political party" following the television report.
According to the Met, all allegations currently under review involve potential breaches of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Investigators are working to obtain the raw footage from the broadcast and are collaborating with both the Electoral Commission and the Crown Prosecution Service as their enquiries progress.
In response to the criminal probe, a spokesperson for Reform UK stated that the party "denies any wrongdoing and will fully cooperate with the investigation." The spokesperson added, "We won't be commenting further while a live investigation is under way." Meanwhile, a representative for Verbatim Investigations also confirmed their cooperation, stating, "Verbatim will cooperate with the police's investigation."
The Electoral Commission has also intervened, with a spokesperson describing the broadcast as containing "serious allegations of wrongdoing." The commission noted that it is right for these matters to be thoroughly investigated by the police, while confirming that it is running a parallel assessment of all relevant information and regulatory steps.
The undercover footage has already caused significant disruption for Reform UK, overshadowing its recent party conference in Birmingham and resulting in the immediate departure of two senior figures. Dan Jukes, who served as chief of staff to party leader Nigel Farage, and James Orr, the head of policy, both left their roles after the broadcast.
In the undercover footage, an investigator posing as the son of a wealthy American donor expressed concern that his father could not legally donate directly to the party. Under UK electoral law, political donations are restricted to individuals registered to vote in the UK or companies registered within the country. The footage appeared to show Jukes suggesting that the £500,000 donation could be made in the UK-based son's name, even though the funds would originate from the American father.
Additionally, Orr was recorded suggesting that the American father could bypass direct donation limits by paying for opinion polling to support Reform UK's political campaigns. The undercover operation also captured Farage and Jukes at a lunch in Clacton, where the actor playing the US donor suggested routing the £500,000 through his son.
Farage has defended himself, telling reporters that he "frankly wasn't listening" during the lunch discussion regarding the potential donation. He dismissed his aide's filmed remarks as "loose pub talk including a couple of boasts that simply were not true." Channel 4 News confirmed that no such payment was ever actually completed.
Jukes has strongly denied "any wrongdoing" and explained that he had "stepped back from politics in order to clear my name." Orr previously indicated to Sky News that he would "fully" cooperate with the party's internal review.
The police were already investigating previous financial contributions to Reform UK prior to this broadcast. That existing probe centers on whether payments made in the weeks leading up to the general election complied with UK donation laws. Specifically, officers are scrutinizing direct donations from Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell, a long-term ally of Farage. They are also examining a £1 million payment made by Fiona Cottrell in June 2024 to a company controlled by Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice.
The investigation has drawn sharp criticism from political rivals. Labour Party Chair Bridget Phillipson stated, "Farage needs to wake up and realise the buck stops with him. Reform's failure to take responsibility for their actions shows just how unfit they are for office."
Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman, demanded transparency, saying, "Every Reform MP urgently needs to state whether they or their campaigns have benefited from any foreign money."
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, also questioned the party's leadership, stating, "Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson hoped they could pin all this on two of their most senior advisors, but they have more questions to answer about how much they knew."
