Nigel Farage claimed he "wasn't listening" during the meeting that sparked the party's donor drama and derailed Reform UK's conference. There were hundreds of empty seats in the hall as Farage gave his closing address at the event in Birmingham.
The conference was overshadowed by revelations in a Channel 4 sting, which showed senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources. Accepting donations from a foreign company could constitute a criminal offence, and the party has been reported to the police.
Farage's response to the sting
Farage told ITV he was certain Reform had accepted no illicit donations and dismissed claims in the documentary by one of his long-term aides, Dan Jukes, that the party had previously concealed the origin of some donations as "loose pub talk".
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, he claimed to "know donation law better than anybody" and said the two men "should have done basic checks" before bringing potential donors to meet him. He said he "frankly wasn't even listening" during a meeting with the undercover reporters in Clacton, adding: "I was told there was a global family office based in London, so the money could have come from Singapore."
Aides step down and leadership speculation
Two senior aides - including Dan Jukes, Farage's former Chief of Staff - stepped down on Friday. Mr Jukes, who denies any wrongdoing, and James Orr, the party's head of policy, have stood down pending an internal investigation of their appearance in the footage. Farage has said Mr Jukes and Mr Orr were "injudicious at best", while denying any wrongdoing and saying he was told that any arrangements were "above board".
Farage, who is already facing scrutiny over his failure to declare a £5 million gift from a party donor, said investigations "will go on". But the row has sparked speculation that Farage might not lead the party into the next general election. He was tight-lipped when confronted about his future by the Mirror on the conference floor.
Jenrick's speech and watch controversy
Earlier today, former Tory defector Robert Jenrick gave a speech that many saw as a soft leadership pitch from the conference stage, painting himself as a down-to-earth son of a white van man. But he was spotted wearing what appeared to be a Rolex watch worth up to £16,000 - possibly a Rolex Submariner Date, with prices for the green-rimmed version ranging from around £10,000 to £16,000. Mr Jenrick's team claimed the watch had been misidentified. The Mirror asked him to clarify which model he was sporting, and confirm whether it was genuine or a fake, and they declined.
In his speech, Mr Jenrick, who was privately educated, told Reform delegates: "People like my Dad who drove a white van, built a small business at our kitchen table down the road in Wolverhampton, and toiled for his family." He told Reform fans he was proud to "take my place amongst the ranks of the people's army" and said he would increase the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 within the first 100 days of taking office. The threshold has been set at £12,570 since 2021 and is due to remain there until 2031.
Protester assault and police appeal
Meanwhile there was mounting fury over peaceful protesters being manhandled out of Farage's keynote speech on Friday - and assaulted by party members. West Midlands Police yesterday said officers want to speak to a female protester who was assaulted by Reform members after she heckled Nigel Farage. A sickening clip shared online showed her being hit around the head with a crutch before her hair was pulled and a hand put over her mouth. The grey haired man seen assaulting her was not a member of the event's security team. Another woman was shown pulling her hair as she was escorted from Birmingham's NEC.
Reform's Nadine Dorries responded to a question by The Mirror by saying protesters should not expect to be treated gently. Chairman Lee Anderson made light of the incident in his speech, telling cheering supporters: "I did see an old chap, a pensioner, somewhere with a walking stick... Look I don't condone any of that type of behaviour, but if anyone wants to have a quick whip around later we are collecting for a new walking stick." Ms Dorries said: "If you're going to come into a conference like this (to cause disruption) of course you're not going to get gentle treatment."
A West Midlands Police spokesman told The Mirror: "We're aware of a video circulating from the Reform UK Conference showing an incident with a protester. We haven't received a complaint but would ask the woman involved to come forward and contact us so we can carry out enquiries."
Braverman denies leadership contest
Asked if she thought Mr Jenrick and Home Affairs Spokesman Zia Yusuf were "on manoeuvres, ex-Tory Suella Braverman said: "The simple answer is no. Listen, I've seen a lot of skulduggery, let's say, within the Conservative Party. And it's another reason why I left." She added: "I know we're all behind 100% Nigel. I want him to be Prime Minister. So does Robert, so does Zia. And we're not going to stop working and fighting until we achieve that goal."
Closing the conference on Saturday, Farage told delegates: "There will be times in this journey when there are good days and times when there are difficult days. More often than not, things will be put upon us that are unfair. But sometimes we will make mistakes, sometimes we will get things wrong and get a bit of a kicking for it. But what this conference has shown is whatever you throw at the leadership, whatever they throw at you, the people's army, we immediately pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and start all over again."
