Birmingham, Sept 4 (V7N) – Two senior officials resigned from Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK on Friday as the scandal-hit party was reported to the police over fresh allegations that it flouted political donation rules, dealing another blow to the party on the eve of its annual conference.

Farage's long-term aide Dan Jukes and Reform's head of policy James Orr stepped down, the party said, adding that it had launched an internal probe into the allegations revealed in an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News.

Hours before Farage, whose popularity has sunk amid multiple similar scandals, was set to address Reform's annual conference, the Channel 4 investigation was broadcast alleging party officials breached political donation rules.

A spokesperson for London's Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of media reporting… involving political party donations and an alleged breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 relating to polling".

The ruling Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats said they reported Reform to the police following the investigation, which the anti-immigration party initially dismissed as a "hoax". Reform UK, founded as the Brexit Party in 2018 and rebranded in 2021, has faced multiple scandals in recent months.

The Channel 4 investigation alleged that Reform UK may have breached the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 by accepting a donation of approximately £2.4 million from a company that was not registered at the time of the donation. The Electoral Commission confirmed it has received a complaint and is assessing the information to determine whether any investigation is required under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.

The development comes as Reform UK continues to face scrutiny over various controversies, with Farage's personal popularity declining amid the multiple scandals that have hit the party. The party had been hoping to use its annual conference to regain momentum. Instead, the conference is now overshadowed by questions about the party's financial dealings and the integrity of its leadership. Reform UK has also been embroiled in other controversies, including a separate investigation into alleged antisemitism and the use of undeclared donations.

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