Key facts
- Reform UK's conference was intended to demonstrate the party's seriousness for government.
- The party aimed to focus on immigration and cost of living issues.
- An agreement was signed with France's National Rally on intercepting Channel boats.
- Two senior aides, Dan Jukes and James Orr, are stepping down amid an investigation into alleged attempts to evade UK donation laws.
- Nigel Farage described the comments as 'loose pub talk' and denied wrongdoing.
- Farage's conference speech addressed the allegations and reiterated campaign messages.
Reform UK's conference, intended to showcase the party's readiness for government and focus on key issues like immigration and the cost of living, has been significantly overshadowed by allegations concerning the evasion of electoral donation laws. The party's efforts to project an image of serious governance, including a press conference with Jordan Bardella, President of France's National Rally, were overshadowed by undercover filming broadcast by Channel 4 News. The footage appeared to show two of Nigel Farage's close aides, Dan Jukes and James Orr, discussing ways to circumvent UK electoral law, which restricts donations to individuals based in the UK. Jukes and Orr have since stepped down pending an internal investigation, though Jukes denies any wrongdoing and Orr has pledged full cooperation. Nigel Farage dismissed the comments as 'loose pub talk' and 'boasting,' asserting the party had done nothing wrong. However, pollsters More in Common noted that 'perceptions of sleaze' are a primary obstacle for voters considering Reform UK, and this incident risks exacerbating that issue. Frustration was evident among party members at the conference, with some viewing the filming as a 'witch hunt' and others despairing at the recurrence of such allegations. Farage's keynote speech, delayed and shorter than anticipated, addressed the controversy directly, offering a rebuttal while also highlighting the party's successes and core campaign messages such as 'Britain is broken' and 'we will stop the boats.' He also outlined a proposal to declare a 'national emergency' on day one of a Reform-led government, potentially with extended parliamentary hours. Policy announcements were largely deferred to speeches by other party colleagues.