Reform UK officials step down amid party funding investigation

Reform UK says two senior officials have stepped down as the party launched an investigation into claims about funding aired during a Channel 4 News report.

Nigel Farage's senior aide Dan Jukes and Reform's head of policy James Orr have both stood down pending the outcome of the internal probe, the party said.

The party added the investigation should be "allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice" and it would make no further comment for now.

The row threatens to overshadow Reform's conference in Birmingham, which has its first full day on Friday.

In the Channel 4 report, which aired on Thursday night, undercover filming showed Jukes suggesting a way to get around electoral law to secure a foreign donation of £500,000 for the party.

The undercover filming was carried out by a group called Verbatim Investigations, which was founded by journalists from the Centre for Climate Reporting. Channel 4 News say they have verified the material they were given and chose to broadcast.

Reform has denied any wrongdoing and said it had "been the target of a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded climate change activists".

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have reported Reform to the Metropolitan Police over the allegations. The force said on Thursday it would assess the matter and any information provided to it.

In a statement on Friday, the Electoral Commission said: "We are considering all relevant information, in line with our regulatory remit, and we are in touch with the Met Police.

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."

Jukes said he denied wrongdoing and had "stepped back from politics in order to clear my name." The BBC has contacted Orr for a comment.

Reacting on Friday, Farage told LBC a "couple of our contractors have said things that shouldn't have been said" and had been "removed this morning".

The Reform UK leader added: "The party has broken no laws, the party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever."

Farage appears to be trying to distance himself Jukes and Orr, with his comments to LBC.

However Jukes is widely seen as Farage's closest aide, who is often at his side, and is judged to have an innate sense of his boss's instincts. Jukes has long been the man you need to call if you want to arrange an interview with the Reform UK leader.

Orr, a Cambridge academic who has stepped down the party's head of policy, could also be considered to be in Farage's inner circle.