Reform UK officials Dan Jukes and James Orr step down after Channel 4 donation report

September 4, 2026 at 11:55 AM2 min

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Reform UK said two senior officials, Dan Jukes and James Orr, have stepped down pending an internal investigation into funding claims aired by Channel 4 News. The party launched the probe after undercover footage suggested a way to bypass electoral law to secure a £500,000 foreign donation. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have reported Reform to the Metropolitan Police over the allegations.

Key Facts

Reform UK senior aide Dan Jukes and head of policy James Orr have stood down pending an internal investigation.
Channel 4 News aired undercover footage showing Jukes suggesting a way to secure a £500,000 foreign donation for the party.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have reported Reform UK to the Metropolitan Police over the allegations.
Reform UK said it had been the target of a hoax by foreign funded climate change activists.

The Undercover Report

Channel 4 News broadcast footage from a lunch in Clacton, Essex, with a reporter posing as the UK-based son and an actor posing as his supposed American father. In the footage, the son says he will be the registered donor, but his father will send the money to him, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage responds, "Thank you. Well, both of you. Thank you." Electoral law requires a permissible donor to be a UK registered voter or a company registered in the UK, which the father would not be. Channel 4 News also reported that Reform UK commissioned three polls costing £32,500 in total without disclosing who commissioned or funded them.

Party Response

Reform UK said the party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. The party denied any wrongdoing and said it had been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign funded climate change activists. The row threatens to overshadow Reform's conference in Birmingham, which has its first full day on Friday.