British police announced on Wednesday that they have launched a criminal investigation into the Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, over potential breaches of political donation rules. The decision follows the publication of material by undercover journalists regarding party representatives.
London’s Metropolitan Police stated: «Detectives have assessed the provided information and determined that there are potential offences that require investigation». According to the police, the alleged offences are similar in nature to cases already being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Special Enquiry Team regarding donations to the same political party.
Investigation details and party position
Last week, two senior aides to Nigel Farage resigned following an investigation that included a series of allegations, including a potential breach of electoral law regarding an agreement to pay for a political poll via a foreign donor. Reform UK denies any wrongdoing and stated that it «will fully cooperate with the investigation», adding that it would not provide further comment while the inquiry is ongoing.
Reform UK, whose significant lead in opinion polls has narrowed amid another scandal involving a £5 million gift to Nigel Farage, previously claimed it was the victim of a provocation by climate activists.
The investigation, which the Channel 4 television network broadcast during the annual Reform UK conference, was conducted by the Verbatim research group. Over the course of a year, its representatives communicated with Reform UK officials while posing as wealthy donors from the United States with connections in the United Kingdom.
The Verbatim team eventually met with Nigel Farage for lunch. Nigel Farage later told the BBC that he did not pay attention to what was said during the meeting.
Source: The Straits Times
