Reform UK under fire over secret foreign donations uncovered in investigation

Nigel Farage and senior Reform UK figures have been filmed by undercover reporters allegedly discussing foreign donations and arrangements that could breach UK electoral law.

An impressive investigation by Channel 4 News and Verbatim claims the party arranged for a US company to fund polls without publicly disclosing its involvement, while a potential £500,000 donation from a US-based source was also discussed.

The investigation says three polls commissioned by Reform UK were funded by a US company and included surveys on Labour’s planned cancellation of local elections, voters’ support for Keir Starmer and Reform’s support among trade union members.

“Bang for buck” – Nigel Farage describing the polls

The undercover reporter who met with Farage posed as the son of a wealthy American based in the UK, named “William Lockwood”. They met in July, when Farage described the polling as “amazing” and providing “bang for buck”, adding: “It worked. Boom.”

James Orr, Reform UK’s former Head of Policy and senior adviser to Nigel Farage, was also involved. The investigation states that he was one of the members of the party dealing directly with the undercover “donors” and discussing how their money could be used to benefit the party.

The £500,000 donation was proposed to involve the UK-based son being the declared donor, despite the money coming from his US-based father. The investigation says this would be illegal.

James Orr’s involvement

When the idea was shared with the Reform UK leader, he thanked the undercover journalist and the man posing as his father. He also said: “It’s all above board”.

In other meetings with the investigative reporter present, Orr, whilst discussing another potential scheme, reportedly said: “Is anybody gonna find out? Am I gonna tell anyone… obviously not, so the reality is we could easily get away with it.”

He also joked that they could “literally do the old John Le Carré – you print it off, put it in a brown envelope, drop it off somewhere.”

Reform UK denies any wrongdoing

In light of the claims, Reform UK has issued a statement saying it has been the “target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists posing as would-be party donors. The party denies any wrongdoing.”

As of 4 September 2026, Orr has stepped down from his Reform UK role pending an internal investigation following the allegations.

The reporter-led investigation follows the parliamentary investigation into Farage’s financial support, which resumed after he was re-elected as the MP for Clacton, having been paused when he resigned in July and triggered a by-election.

The undercover investigation comes amid existing scrutiny of Farage’s finances. The parliamentary standards commissioner is investigating whether he should have declared a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency businessman Christopher Harborne, while separate allegations have also been made about financial support provided by his associate George Cottrell.