Key facts
- Reform UK was fined £2,187.50 for election rule breaches.
- The fine was for missing an "imprint" on campaign material and for late payment.
- The penalty was paid on October 20, 2026.
- Reform UK is launching a legal challenge against ITV and its journalists.
Reform UK has been fined more than £2,000 for failing to declare itself as the publisher of campaign material and for late payment of the penalty. The Electoral Commission sanctioned the party after four items of election material were missing an "imprint," which declares the publisher. The original fine of £1,750, due on September 23, increased by a quarter to £2,187.50 due to the missed deadline. The party eventually paid the full amount on October 20, 2026.
Jackie Killeen, director of Electoral Administration and Regulation at the Electoral Commission, stated that the laws ensure transparency in political finance and campaign materials. The fine is separate from a previous issue concerning a Reform candidate's election material in the Gorton and Denton byelection, where a letter designed to appear handwritten by a local resident was sent out without an imprint, which the party attributed to a printing error.
Separately, Reform UK announced it would report ITV to the police and launch a legal challenge against the broadcaster and its journalists following an ITV exposé that revealed racist remarks by party members. Zia Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesperson, claimed the undercover reporter had doctored her passport and that other reporters had been reported to the police for illegal canvassing. An ITV spokesperson stated the broadcaster stands by its journalism and would cooperate with any police inquiry.