Reform UK Conference Rocked by Allegations of Plot to Circumvent Donation Rules

Reform UK's national conference has been rocked by allegations that senior members of the party plotted to circumvent rules on political donations. The reports centre on two payments – one real and one suggested, but both important. The two Reform staff members at the centre of the investigation have been suspended.

The apparent plans were captured in a sting, filmed in London and Clacton by undercover journalists from Verbatim Investigations and broadcast by Channel 4 News. The first allegation from the film is that James Orr, who was Reform's head of policy until his suspension, arranged for an impermissible donor to pay for £32,500 of polling, which later made headlines in national newspapers, from the company JL Partners. The question surrounding the payment is whether it is allowed under electoral law, and whether it should have been reported to the Electoral Commission. The law is clear that if you pay for research on behalf of a party (this is known as sponsorship), that payment counts as a donation and ought to be recorded as such.