Overview
- Undercover reporting by Verbatim shown on Channel 4 recorded senior figures appearing to discuss a US-linked donor paying for three polls (£32,500) and a proposed £500,000 routed through a UK intermediary.
- Reform announced an internal inquiry and said James Orr and Dan Jukes had stepped aside from their roles pending its outcome.
- Rival parties reported the material to the Metropolitan Police and the Electoral Commission, both of which said they are assessing the information and are in contact with each other.
- Nigel Farage denied illegality, described the operation as entrapment, and faced a disrupted conference in Birmingham where his speech was delayed and protesters interrupted proceedings.
- The episode adds to existing funding questions about Reform — including a separate parliamentary inquiry into a reported £5m gift — and raises clear legal risks because UK law bars donations from overseas individuals or non‑UK entities.