Reform UK has come under fire after election spending data revealed the party spent £350 on a bottle of champagne at a luxury lunch in London. The receipts, submitted to the Electoral Commission, show high spending at top venues in the first half of 2024.
One £1,703 lunch at the Shard restaurant in May included a £352 magnum of champagne, a £155 bottle of Veuve Clicquot, and other expensive drinks. Another bill from June showed a £989-a-night hotel stay at Sea Containers on London's South Bank, plus £99 on 'dinner liquor' and £205 on room service and minibar.
Party sources said the expenses were not incurred by Nigel Farage, chair David Bull, or other senior figures, but by someone who has since left the party. The data also showed Reform paid over £200,000 to a company co-owned by Bull for services including live-streaming and consultancy.
Reform defended the spending, stating it was properly accounted for and part of national campaign infrastructure. The party spent about £5.5m during the election, far less than the Conservatives (£23m) and Labour (£30m).
