THE elections watchdog has contacted the police after secretly recorded video appeared to show some of Nigel Farage’s closest aides conspiring to break the law.
Reform UK head of policy James Orr and long-serving Farage aide Dan Jukes both stepped down following allegations they knowingly breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Reform officials are also alleged to have conspired to accept a £500,000 donation from a US donor by funnelling it through his UK-based son – which would be illegal.
The recordings, captured by the investigative journalist group Verbatim and first reported by Channel 4, showed Orr calling the Electoral Commission “completely useless … dumb and ineffective” and saying that the “reality is we could easily get away with it”.
Responding, an Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “We are considering all relevant information, in line with our regulatory remit, and we are in touch with the Met Police.
"The Electoral Commission has not approved the donor vetting process for Reform, or any other party. Parties are responsible for ensuring their internal processes and controls are fit for purpose. We provide advice and guidance to political parties on how to comply with electoral law.
"The law requires political parties to report all permissible donations they accept with a value over £11,180 and all impermissible donations over £500.
"Information about any potential attempt to evade the controls on donations is for the police to consider."
Bridget Phillipson, the chair of the Labour Party, has also called for the police to investigate. She wrote to the force's chief: "Of particular significance is the reported statement by Mr Orr that the arrangement would 'technically be a donation in kind', followed by the statement that he was not going to tell anyone because 'the reality is we could easily get away with it'.
"Mr Jukes reportedly referred to the undercover reporter as a 'key donor for off the book project'. When Mr Farage was subsequently informed of the polling, he is reported to have described it as having provided 'bang for buck' and said: 'It worked. Boom.'"
The Met Police has been asked for a statement.
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Reform announced it had launched an investigation on Friday morning, which is the opening day of their party conference in Birmingham.
A spokesperson said: “Both individuals involved have stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation.
“The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing.”
Speaking to LBC, Farage claimed “nothing illegal” had happened.
“The party has broken no laws. The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever,” he said.
“However, it is a clear case of entrapment, and they worked at it for a very, very long time, and they got a couple of our contractors to say things that perhaps should not have been said.
“And as a result of that, you know, they have been removed this morning. And yeah, you know, I’m not happy about it.”
He said the reason the two Reform aides had stepped aside was because they talked about “putting money in that might have originally come from America”.
“That clearly can’t be done under electoral law. Now it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. So no laws have been broken. And yes, they were entrapped into saying what they said,” Farage added.
Jukes said in a statement: “This was entrapment over a prolonged period of nearly a year by foreign-funded, climate change activists.
“I totally deny any wrongdoing but have stepped back from politics in order to clear my name.”
Party chairman and Ashfield MP Lee Anderson said there was “no chance” that Orr and Jukes would return to the party.
However, Reform deputy leader Richard Tice dismissed this, saying: “It’s not actually, in the nicest possible way, for any individual to make that determination until the investigation [finishes].”
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