Two key Nigel Farage aides step down after Channel 4 report

Nigel Farage

Two of Nigel Farage’s key aides have stepped down after allegations they breached political donation rules.

James Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down from Reform, a party spokesperson said.

Rival parties had reported Reform to the police over claims by Channel 4 News that Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year, costing £32,500.

But Mr Farage insisted “nothing illegal” had happened.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK has launched an investigation following the broadcast of a Channel 4 News programme.

“Both individuals involved have stepped down from their respective positions pending the outcome of the investigation.

“The party believes it is important that the investigation is allowed to proceed independently and without prejudice. No further comment will be made while the investigation is ongoing.”

The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.

Mr Jukes was a senior aide to party leader Nigel Farage, and Mr Orr was head of policy at Reform UK.

Speaking to LBC, Mr Farage insisted “nothing illegal” had happened.

“The party has broken no laws. The party has not taken any dodgy money or anything like that whatsoever.

“However, it is a clear case of entrapment, and they worked at it for a very, very long time, and they got a couple of our contractors to say things that perhaps should not have been said.

“And as a result of that, you know, they have been removed this morning. And yeah, you know, I’m not happy about it.”

He said the polls in question were commissioned by an independent third party, rather than Reform.

“It had nothing to do with Reform. It was an independent third party that did it. So that’s nothing. That’s nothing. Polls are funded by overseas people every single week. Every single week.”

He said the reason the two Reform aides had stepped aside was because they talked about “putting money in that might have originally have come from America”.

“That clearly can’t be done under electoral law. Now it didn’t happen. It didn’t happen. So no laws have been broken. And yes, they were entrapped into saying what they said.

“But you know we’re going to investigate it, but on the face of it, they said things that shouldn’t have been said,” he said.

Party chairman Lee Anderson told Sky News there was “no chance” of them returning to the party.

He said: “There's no chance of them coming back. They've stepped aside.

“We're a serious party, you know, and sometimes in politics, you have to make tough decisions, harsh decisions.”

He also told Times Radio: “The two people involved-they've gone. They've left the building. That's the right thing to do.

“And Nigel's going nowhere.”

It comes as Reform is gathering its members in Birmingham for the party’s annual conference.

It has said it will set out the party’s plans for its first 100 days in office should it win the next election.