Nigel Farage Tells BBC He 'Wasn't Listening' During Foreign Donor Talks
BBC News
Nigel Farage has admitted he "frankly wasn't listening" during a conversation captured on film, in which his former chief of staff and an undercover reporter discussed a potential scheme to funnel foreign money into Reform UK.
In the video, Farage's former chief of staff, Dan Jukes, and ex-head of policy, James Orr, talk about receiving donations from an American donor and a fake company paying for polling. Both Jukes and Orr have since been removed from their positions, with Jukes denying any wrongdoing and Orr promising to cooperate with the party's internal investigation.
During an interview with the BBC, Farage revealed his family is "begging" him to step down as pressure mounts. He was present during the conversation but claims he wasn't paying attention, stating, "I turn up. I frankly wasn't even listening."
The proposed donation, which was never materialized due to it being part of an undercover sting, raised concerns under electoral law, which prohibits foreign donations to UK political parties. Farage explained, "I know donation law better than anybody... frankly, the two individuals involved here have never been involved in fundraising before."
The row has cast a shadow over Reform's conference, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats calling for a Metropolitan Police investigation. As pressure intensifies, Farage denies any wrongdoing and maintains that Reform has never accepted money from foreign entities.