Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage is set to speak at the Reform party's conference again despite being embroiled in a donations scandal. The row centres around footage obtained by undercover group Verbatim showing senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise foreign donations, which could be a criminal offence. Farage himself has been under scrutiny over £5 million in donations from a wealthy backer. In his speech, Farage claimed that the party is being targeted by a "highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks" and accused Labour and the Conservatives of building an "ecosystem" to discredit Reform.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is embroiled in a scandal over allegations of accepting illegal foreign donations. Two senior officials, Dan Jukes and James Orr, have stepped down pending an internal investigation into the matter. The allegations stem from a Channel 4 News investigation that showed senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources. Undercover reporters from Verbatim posed as an American financier and his son to gather evidence of the alleged wrongdoing. Foreign companies are not allowed to provide funding for UK parties, including payments for studies and research, under electoral law. The party has been reported to the police over the allegations, which could constitute a criminal offense if proven true. Farage denies any wrongdoing, saying that the party has "broken no laws" and that the allegations are part of a "highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks". The scandal is overshadowing the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, where Farage addressed delegates despite several demonstrations and hecklers interrupting his speech.
Written for “Nigel Farage Funding Scandal” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
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Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence
left framing the issue as a potential crime
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They were never going to come out with a tray of gin and tonics, I promise you.
right dismissive tone towards critics
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But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing.
right assertion of determination and defiance
Leaning score -0.35 for article 4169 (high confidence, 3 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-04
Reform found itself at the centre of fresh row about donations on Thursday, when Channel 4 broadcast footage that appeared to show senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources.
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figures → find → sources
Mr Farage was already facing intense scrutiny about donations Reform has received, as well as £5 million he was given by a wealthy backer.
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he → face → backer
The footage was part of an investigation by undercover group Verbatim, who posed as an American donor and his son who had paid for polling allegedly commissioned by Reform and were seeking to channel money to Reform.
uncertain
who → pose → Reform
Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence, and the party has been reported to the police.
uncertain
party → accept → police
The Liberal Democrats have also asked Parliament’s standards watchdog to investigate the claims.
uncertain
Democrats → ask → claims
Dan Jukes, a long-serving Farage aide, and James Orr, the party’s head of policy, have stood down pending an internal investigation of their appearance in the footage.
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Jukes → serve → footage
Over the course of Friday, Mr Farage repeatedly said the party had broken no laws and dismissed Mr Jukes’s comments as “loose pub talk” that included “a couple of boasts that simply were not true”.
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that → say → boasts
In a speech delayed by a “security alert” and interrupted four times by hecklers, Mr Farage vowed not to be “distracted” from his agenda by what he called a “highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks”.
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he → delay → attacks
Addressing the party faithful, he said Reform had been “the subject of a highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks” by an “ecosystem” that had been built up around Labour and the Conservatives over the past century.
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that → address → century
He said: “They were never going to come out with a tray of gin and tonics, I promise you.
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I → say → you
“But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this.
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we → promise → this
We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing.”
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we → do → what
Mr Farage added: “Reform has broken no law.
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Reform → add → law
We take compliance extremely seriously.
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We → take → compliance
“And ask yourself, why is all of this happening?
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all → ask → this
Anyone got a clue why it’s happening?
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it → get → clue
Because they’re scared of us.
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they → ’re → us
That’s why it’s happening.”
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it → ’ → ?
Read More
Mr Farage’s own speech was disrupted four times by protesters heckling him over climate change.
Other senior Reform figures will also address the conference on Saturday, which has been centred around its plans for the first 100 days of a Reform government.
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which → read → government
