Sunday, September 06, 2026
Sleaze, scandal and dodgy funding
The paper says that allegations that the party arranged illegal donations led to the resignation on Friday of Farage’s chief of staff and longtime aide Dan Jukes, as well as policy director James Orr, effectively knocking the party off-course from its planned agenda, and forcing Farage to answer questions on whether he could bounce back from another scandal:
Metropolitan Police confirmed they are considering complaints from Labour and the Lib Dems over video footage obtained by investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son, who reportedly suggested they would be prepared to donate up to £500,000 to the party.
The party took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported.
It meant that an attempt by Mr Farage to put his party on the front foot over the small board crisis by signing a memorandum with France’s right-wing National Rally party president Jordan Bardella was lost in him answering questions on the allegations.
It also overshadowed the speech in which he outlined how he would declare a state of emergency if he became prime minister and force the Commons to sit seven-day weeks over the summer to push through legislation.
In many ways it is a shame that the contents of Farage's speech have been overshadowed by the scandals. The proposal to declare a state of emergency and force through legislation has all the hallmarks of the early days of the Third Reich, while the manhandling of a protestor in the conference shows once again how little respect Reform UK have for dissent.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that a group called Patriot Platform, dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, blocked the road at the port of Dover in Kent, in a protest against small boats, forcing closures in both directions on Saturday morning.
This para-military-like demonstration was not associated with Reform UK, but it was very much promoting their agenda.
The Guardian also published an article outlining what they call a two-year trail of financial controversy dogging Reform and Farage.
The piece touches on six claims the party has faced, ranging from an undisclosed £5m gift to an alleged plot to bypass election laws.
This includes Farage telling us that he had ‘bought a house’ in Clacton which is actually owned by his girlfriend, the undisclosed £5m gift to Farage by a crypto billionaire in 2024, the police investigation of £500,000 in donations from the mother of a fraudster who backed Farage, the Reform UK transactions worth millions which were reported to the National Crime Agency, the crypto billionaire pardoned by Trump who gave Reform another £4m, and the Reform officials who allegedly ‘plotted to break the law on foreign donations’ in an undercover film.
All in all, it isn't looking good for Farage and his party.
All in all, it isn't looking good for Farage and his party.
