Key facts
- JL Partners is being investigated by the British Polling Council and the Market Research Society.
- The firm is accused of failing to disclose Reform UK as the client for three commissioned polls.
- Undercover reporters paid over £30,000 for polling from JL Partners that generated positive headlines for Reform UK.
- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was filmed discussing the polling and a potential donation from a non-UK resident.
- Two senior Reform UK officials, James Orr and Dan Jukes, have been suspended following the investigation.
A polling firm, JL Partners, is facing investigations from two industry bodies, the British Polling Council and the Market Research Society, over allegations that Reform UK may have breached electoral law. The accusations stem from an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, which revealed that JL Partners, run by former Conservative aides, allegedly failed to disclose Reform UK as the client for three separate polls.
JL Partners' co-founder, James Johnson, was covertly filmed discussing the polling, admitting to "informal rule-bending" and that the client should have been disclosed. The results of these polls, which appeared to favour Reform UK, were published on the front pages of The Times and the Daily Telegraph, with both newspapers stating they were unaware of the client's identity.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was also filmed commenting positively on the polling and discussing a potential larger donation from a non-UK resident, which could contravene UK electoral laws. In response to the broadcast, Reform UK announced the suspension of two senior officials, James Orr, its head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a senior adviser to Farage, who were filmed apparently discussing ways to bypass electoral laws.
The British Polling Council stated that its rules require the client commissioning a survey to be disclosed when results enter the public domain and that its rules appear to have been breached. The Market Research Society is referring the matter to the Market Research Standards Board for review. JL Partners acknowledged weaknesses in its procedures and stated it is reviewing them to strengthen future safeguards.