Nigel Farage tells BBC he wasn't listening in undercover donor film
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage tells BBC he was not listening during talks on foreign donations, following the removal of his former chief of staff.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Nigel Farage claims he was not listening during a discussion on foreign donations.
- Former chief of staff Dan Jukes and ex-policy head James Orr have stepped down.
- The controversy threatens to overshadow Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has revealed to the BBC that he "frankly wasn't even listening" during a conversation concerning foreign money being donated to his party. The remarks follow an undercover investigation by Verbatim Investigations and Channel 4 News, which captured Farage and his former chief of staff Dan Jukes present during a discussion about channeling £500,000 from an American donor through his UK-based son.
Under British electoral law, political donors must be registered voters or companies registered within the UK, meaning foreign funds cannot be laundered through UK residents. Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Following the film's release, Dan Jukes and former head of policy James Orr both stepped down pending an internal party investigation. While Jukes has denied any wrongdoing, Orr stated to Sky News that he will fully cooperate with Reform's inquiry into the matter.
"They would rather I packed it up and walked away."
Nigel Farage
During his interview, Farage admitted that his family is "begging" him to leave his post amid mounting pressure. He categorically denied that Reform had ever accepted funding from foreign entities via UK intermediaries. Furthermore, Farage condemned the masked protesters who gathered at the Port of Dover, stating that wearing balaclavas during public demonstrations is wrong on every level.
The scandal has severely disrupted Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham, where the party originally hoped to highlight policy proposals for the 2029 General Election, income tax cuts, and an alliance with French politician Jordan Bardella. Instead, the toxic intersection of politics and money has dominated national attention, with the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats urging the Metropolitan Police to investigate the claims.
Source: BBC Politics
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