Met Police launch criminal probe into Reform UK over alleged foreign donations

The Metropolitan Police has opened a criminal investigation into whether Reform UK broke electoral law by accepting foreign donations. The force said on Wednesday that detectives had assessed reports received after a Channel 4 broadcast and determined there were potential offences requiring investigation.

The investigation follows an undercover documentary aired last week by Channel 4. The programme showed two senior Reform UK officials appearing to discuss how money from an American financier could be channelled through his UK-based son. In the footage, Dan Jukes, a longtime adviser to party leader Nigel Farage, and James Orr, the party's chief, were filmed in conversation with two men posing as a US donor and his British son. The "son" was a reporter from the investigative group Verbatim; the "father" was an actor.

UK electoral law permits political parties to accept donations only from British voters or UK-registered businesses. The documentary showed Jukes, in Farage's presence, discussing how £500,000 could be donated to the party through the son. Separate footage captured Orr, a Cambridge University theologian, appearing to discuss arranging for the US donor to pay for opinion polls commissioned by Reform UK.

After the broadcast, the Metropolitan Police said it had received a number of reports relating to donations and polling involving a political party. The force stated that detectives had assessed the information provided and determined that potential offences required investigation. The party suspended Jukes and Orr after the documentary aired.

Farage has denied any breach of electoral law. Reform UK said on Wednesday that it denies any wrongdoing and will fully cooperate with the investigation. The party has not commented on the specific conversations captured in the documentary beyond the suspensions.

The investigation places the Metropolitan Police in the position of examining whether the discussions recorded by Channel 4 constitute evidence of a conspiracy to circumvent donation rules, or whether they represent conversations that did not result in any illegal transfer of funds. Electoral law treats the knowing acceptance of impermissible donations as a criminal offence. The Crown Prosecution Service would ultimately decide whether any charges are brought.

Reform UK won five seats at the July general election and secured more than four million votes, making it the third-largest party by vote share. The party has positioned itself as a challenger to the Conservative Party on immigration and cultural issues. Farage, a former leader of the UK Independence Party and the Brexit Party, returned to frontline politics as Reform UK leader in June.

The Channel 4 investigation was conducted in partnership with Verbatim, which specialises in undercover reporting. The broadcaster said the footage was gathered over several months. The Metropolitan Police has not specified a timeline for the investigation. The Electoral Commission, which regulates party finance, has the power to impose civil sanctions for donation breaches but referred the matter to the police for criminal assessment.

The case turns on whether the discussions amounted to an agreement to accept impermissible donations or to disguise their source. The presence of Farage during one conversation, as shown in the documentary, may become a focus for investigators examining the chain of knowledge and authorisation within the party. Farage has not been suspended and remains party leader.

Reform UK's statement committing to full cooperation suggests the party intends to engage with the investigation rather than challenge its basis. The outcome could affect the party's finances, its leadership structure, and its credibility with voters who backed it as an anti-establishment force. For now, the investigation proceeds with the party operating under a cloud of criminal scrutiny.