Two of Nigel Farage’s key allies have been forced to quit their roles in Reform UK after a bombshell undercover sting operation sparked allegations they breached political donation rules.
James Orr and Dan Jukes stepped down from Reform and an investigation has been launched, a party spokesperson said on Friday morning, a day after the party’s conference kicked off in Birmingham.
Rival parties have reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.
The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.
Foreign companies are not a permissible source of funding for parties, including for payments for studies and research, and accepting donations from them could constitute a criminal offence.
Nigel Farage said Reform UK has “broken no laws” and has not “taken any dodgy money” in relation to the claims.
Reacting to the news that Mr Orr and Mr Jukes have quit the party, Reform chairman Lee Anderson said there was “no chance” they would return. But deputy party leader Richard Tice refused to rule it out, telling the BBC “let’s wait and see what the investigation says, that will take its course”.
Dan Jukes
Dan Jukes, who has been Mr Farage’s right hand man for years, was serving as the party’s long-term media chief when he stepped down from his role. A long-term aide to the Reform leader, he has had the job title of director of communications since the age of 19.
He has worked alongside Mr Farage on and off for more than a decade, including during his time in the European parliament and as part of Leave.EU, the unofficial Brexit campaign.
Dr James Orr
Dr James Orr is a senior adviser to Mr Farage who was appointed as Reform UK’s head of policy in April.
He is a theologian who serves as an associate professor of the philosophy of religion at Cambridge University.
Dr Orr has faced criticism for his policies and ideas, many of which have been influenced by Christian nationalism. For example, he has previously argued that marriage is best for children when it is between a man and a woman, as well as describing Britain’s abortion laws as “extreme”.
And before taking over as the head of policy, Dr Orr told Reform’s conference last year that Britain should establish an equivalent to Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
What are the allegations Reform is facing?
Mr Jukes was filmed meeting a man posing as the British-based son of a rich American businessman and was heard appearing to suggest a way to get around electoral law to secure a foreign donation of £500,000 for Reform UK, according to undercover filming broadcast by Channel 4.
A reporter posing as the son of the wealthy American donor is filmed standing outside a pub in Westminster raising a concern to Mr Jukes that his father wouldn’t be able to directly donate to the party within the law.
Responding, Mr Jukes said: “You do realise that you can do it?” – which appears to be a suggestion that the donation could be made in the UK-based son’s name, while the money would have actually come from his American father.
“Actually that does strike me as a solution,” Mr Jukes added, before claiming they have done it several times before in exchanges bleeped out but which appear to refer to other instances where this mechanism had been used before.
“That’s one of the ways in which we do it,” he is recorded as saying.
Channel 4 also broadcast footage reportedly filmed later at a lunch in Clacton, Mr Farage’s constituency, which included both the reporter posing as the UK-based son and an actor playing his American father. Opposite them are Mr Jukes and Reform leader Nigel Farage.
The son is heard telling Mr Farage he has been in discussions with both Mr Jukes and Mr Orr about the donation for some time, to which Mr Farage responds that “it’s all above board”.
“I’ll be the registered donor,” the son says. “But then dad will send the money to me, and then as soon as that’s done and all those conversations are had the money is available.”
“Thank you. Well, both of you. Thank you,” Mr Farage is heard saying.
What has Reform said?
In the wake of the investigation being broadcast, Reform hit back saying the party had been “the target of a hoax”.
Nigel Farage defended Reform UK, insisting “nothing illegal” has happened.
In an interview with LBC, Mr Farage said: “The party has broken no laws. The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever.
“However, it is a clear case of entrapment, and they worked at it for a very, very long time, and they got a couple of our contractors to say things that perhaps should not have been said.
“And as a result of that, you know, they have been removed this morning. And yeah, you know, I’m not happy about it.”
A spokesperson said: “Reform UK has been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists posing as would-be party donors. The party denies any wrongdoing.
“Reform UK has a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission.
“The hoaxers are ‘Verbatim Investigations’; a new company, incorporated in July 2026 in an attempt to mask their true identity: the Center for Climate Reporting (CCR).
“The methods of its founder, Lawrence Carter, have previously been rebuked by members of the United States Congress for videos [that] appear to be substantially edited, creating an incomplete record of the conversation.”
Later, the party announced it had sacked both Mr Jukes and Mr Orr, with party chairman Lee Anderson saying there is “no chance” of them returning to their roles.
He told Sky News: “They’ve stepped down. They was told, you know, they had to step down, they have stepped down, and that’s got to be the right thing to do on the day, the first day of our conference.
“Let’s remember, we’ve got 5,000 members coming through the door today to listen to what we’ve got to say about our first 100 days in government and how we’re going to changing the course of this country.
“So it’s right to get rid of this distraction straight away. The pair concerned have gone, and the investigation starts today. It’s as simple as that.”
He added: “There’s no chance of them coming back. They’ve stepped aside. You know, we’re a serious party, you know, and sometimes in politics, you have to make tough decisions, harsh decisions.”
But Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice was less definitive in later comments, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Let’s wait and see what the investigation says.”
He dismissed Mr Anderson’s comments, saying: “It’s not actually, in the nicest possible way, for any individual to make that determination until the investigation (finishes).”
