Nigel Farage: Reform UK leader says party has 'broken no laws' as aides quit over fresh allegations

The party’s head of policy James Orr and long-serving Farage aide Dan 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.

But Mr Farage insisted “nothing illegal” had happened, while Mr Jukes denied any wrongdoing and said it was a case of entrapment.

The Electoral Commission, meanwhile, said it had been in touch with the Met Police and was “considering all relevant information”.

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.

The purported donors that appeared in the footage broadcast on Thursday night 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.

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.”

They said any potential attempt to evade controls on donations is for the police to consider.

They also said they were not responsible for approving Reform UK’s or any other party’s donor vetting process after Nigel Farage’s party said it had a “robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission”.

Reform announced it had launched an investigation on Friday morning following the broadcast.

A spokesperson said: “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.”

Mr Jukes said in a statement: “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.”

Speaking to LBC, Mr Farage insisted “nothing illegal” had happened.

“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.”

He said the polls in question were commissioned by an independent third party, rather than 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.”

He said the reason the two Reform aides had stepped aside was because they talked about “putting money in that might have originally have come from America”.

“That clearly can’t be done under electoral law. Now it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. So no laws have been broken. And yes, they were entrapped into saying what they said.

“But you know we’re going to investigate it, but on the face of it, they said things that shouldn’t have been said,” he said.

It comes as Reform is gathering its members in Birmingham for the party’s annual conference.