Met Police launch investigation into Reform UK donations following sting
The Metropolitan Police have launched a formal criminal investigation into Reform UK following an undercover television sting capturing senior party figures discussing foreign funding.
The Metropolitan Police have launched a formal criminal investigation into Reform UK following an undercover television sting that captured senior party figures discussing foreign funding and unrecorded polling arrangements. Scotland Yard confirmed that detectives evaluated materials from the broadcast and concluded there are potential offences requiring investigation under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, merging the new inquiries directly into an existing Special Enquiry Team probe.
The scrutiny intensified after Channel 4 News aired footage obtained by the investigative group Verbatim, in which reporters posing as a wealthy American financier and his son interacted with high-ranking party insiders. Under UK electoral law, foreign political donations are strictly prohibited, and concealing the true source of funds constitutes a criminal offence. Although the proposed £500,000 donation discussed during the undercover meetings was never actually transferred, the discussions and the funding of three party-commissioned opinion polls worth £32,500 prompted formal complaints from rival political parties, including the Liberal Democrats and Labour.
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The fallout immediately overshadowed Reform UK's autumn conference. Two key figures in Nigel Farage's inner circle — chief of staff Dan Jukes and policy director James Orr — stepped down from their positions pending internal party investigations. Mr Farage maintained that the party had broken no laws, asserting that he was busy canvassing in a by-election and "frankly wasn't even listening" during the recorded exchanges, while dismissing the remarks as "loose pub talk" and an act of entrapment by climate activists. Nevertheless, the revelations compound a difficult period for the party's finances, arriving alongside separate inquiries into historical donations and declarations.
| Investigation / Matter | Primary Focus | Key Individuals Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Special Enquiry Team Probe | 2024 general election donations and Fiona Cottrell payments | Fiona Cottrell, George Cottrell |
| Channel 4 / Verbatim Sting | Alleged foreign funding, concealed polling, and £500,000 proposal | Nigel Farage, Dan Jukes, James Orr |
| Parliamentary Standards Review | Undeclared personal gift of £5m from Christopher Harborne | Nigel Farage, Daniel Greenberg |
The new police probe directly intersects with an existing investigation launched by the Met's Special Enquiry Team in February 2025, which has been examining donations made to Reform ahead of the 2024 general election, specifically payments linked to Fiona Cottrell, the mother of George Cottrell. According to reporting by the Daily Star, detectives are also examining separate payments from a company controlled by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice. Lbc noted that Liberal Democrat figures formally wrote to Scotland Yard urging an exhaustive examination into whether political spending was structured to evade mandatory reporting thresholds.
As the legal and political pressure mounts, the Electoral Commission stated that it is reviewing all relevant information in coordination with law enforcement agencies. While no arrests have been made and no individuals have been interviewed under caution regarding the most recent television broadcast, detectives are working to secure the full unedited footage from the investigative journalists. Further developments are expected as the Crown Prosecution Service reviews the case materials provided by Scotland Yard's Special Enquiry Team.
