Reform UK has suspended two senior officials after an undercover investigation appeared to show them discussing ways to circumvent electoral rules on foreign donations. James Orr, the party’s head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a senior aide to Nigel Farage, stepped aside after Channel 4 News broadcast footage hours before Farage was due to address the party’s conference. Undercover sting puts Reform under pressure The investigation by Verbatim, founded by the Centre for Climate Reporting, involved journalists posing as a potential Reform supporter and his wealthy American father. The pair were filmed discussing a £30,000 polling project commissioned by Reform. If the money were deemed an overseas donation in kind and had not been properly registered, it could raise questions over whether electoral rules had been breached. Farage was later filmed meeting the supposed US donor in Clacton and praising the poll’s impact, saying it had been “amazing” and provided “bang for buck”. Police and watchdog scrutiny intensifies Labour and the Liberal Democrats have referred the allegations to police, while the Electoral Commission said it was considering the information and was in contact with the Metropolitan Police. Reform initially dismissed the investigation as a “hoax”, but later announced an internal inquiry and said Orr and Jukes had stepped down pending its outcome. The party said the investigation should proceed independently and without prejudice, declining further comment. Farage faces questions over what he knew The political pressure is now focused on whether Farage knew about, approved or benefited from arrangements discussed by his aides. Footage appears to show Orr suggesting that Farage “doesn’t know, won’t know” about the polling arrangement, while Jukes described the project as “clandestine” and “hugely important”. There is also disagreement inside Reform over whether the two officials could return. Chair Lee Anderson said there was “no chance” of them coming back, while deputy leader Richard Tice did not rule out their reinstatement after the inquiry. The allegations threaten to reopen wider scrutiny of Reform’s finances, already facing a standards inquiry and police investigation, and leave Farage under mounting pressure to explain the conduct of his senior team. Reform UK suspends two senior officials after undercover report on donations | Reform UK | The Guardian
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