Nigel Farage is to close Reform UK's conference as the party finds itself embroiled in a row about political donations. The Reform UK leader, who defended himself over allegations that Reform had broken laws on political donations in his headline speech, is also expected to make closing remarks in Birmingham on Saturday.
Fresh row over donations
Reform found itself at the centre of a 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. Mr Farage was already facing intense scrutiny about donations Reform has received, as well as £5 million he was given by a wealthy 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. 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.
Fallout and response
The Liberal Democrats have also asked Parliament's standards watchdog to investigate the 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.
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”. 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”.
Conference continues
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. He said: “They were never going to come out with a tray of gin and tonics, I promise you. But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we're doing.”
Mr Farage added: “Reform has broken no law. We take compliance extremely seriously. And ask yourself, why is all of this happening? Anyone got a clue why it's happening? Because they're scared of us. That's why it's happening.”
Before Mr Farage's speech, an address by his deputy Richard Tice had been interrupted by a banner planted by Greenpeace UK reading: “Collect £5 million, burn the planet.” 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. The party's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick will speak about cutting benefit spending, and taxes for both working people and pensioners. Education spokeswoman Suella Braverman will announce plans to cut student loans being issued for “Mickey Mouse degrees”, and to lift the cap on medical school places.
