Farage aide caught on film suggesting way to bypass donations law

A senior aide to Nigel Farage has been filmed suggesting a way to circumvent electoral law to secure a foreign donation of £500,000 for Reform UK, in undercover footage broadcast by Channel 4 News. Dan Jukes, a prominent party figure, was recorded meeting a man posing as the British-based son of a wealthy American businessman, and proposed that the donation could be made in the son's name, even though the money would originate from his father, who would not be a permissible donor under UK law.

Electoral legislation stipulates that donors to British political parties must be registered UK voters or companies incorporated in the United Kingdom. While the son would qualify as a permissible donor, his father would not. In the footage, filmed outside a pub in Westminster, Jukes is heard telling the undercover reporter: "You do realise that you can do it?" and later adds: "Actually that does strike me as a solution." Channel 4 reported that Jukes then claimed the party had employed this mechanism on several previous occasions, though his specific references were bleeped out in the broadcast.

The investigation, conducted by a group called Verbatim Investigations—founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting—also captured a lunch in Clacton, Essex, attended by Farage himself, the undercover reporter posing as the son, and an actor playing his American father. During the meal, Farage is heard saying "it's all above board" after the son mentions discussions with Jukes and Reform's Head of Policy, James Orr. The reporter tells Farage: "I'll be the registered donor. 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." Farage replies: "Thank you. Well, both of you. Thank you."

The undercover operation also revealed that Orr had earlier suggested to the reporter that his father could fund opinion polling to support Reform's campaigning, with a proposed cost of £18,000 plus VAT. Channel 4 News reported that Reform commissioned three polls in total, costing £32,500, and that the public was not informed who commissioned or funded them. Failure to disclose such funding would be illegal, as would the acceptance of foreign donations.

Reform UK has launched internal investigations into both Jukes and Orr, though the party declined to confirm whether Jukes remains a spokesperson. In a statement, a Reform spokesperson denied any wrongdoing, characterising the undercover operation as a "hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists." The party said it has "a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission" and questioned the methods of Verbatim Investigations, noting that its founder's work had previously been criticised by members of the United States Congress for allegedly edited footage.

The Electoral Commission confirmed that the law requires political parties to report all permissible donations above £11,180 and all impermissible donations over £500. A spokesperson added that "information about any potential attempt to evade the controls on donations is for the police to consider." The Metropolitan Police told the BBC it was "aware of media reporting" and would "assess this matter and any information provided to us," though it is understood that no formal investigation has yet begun. Jukes has been approached for comment, while Channel 4 News maintains it has verified the material and stands by its broadcast.