Nigel Farage’s Reform UK received just shy of £5 million from 17 global financiers and businesspeople in the second quarter of this year, DeSmog can reveal.
The party has been embroiled in scandal after an undercover investigation by Verbatim Investigations, broadcast by Channel 4, appeared to show the party conspiring to accept donations from foreign sources.
Two of Reform’s most senior figures have now resigned following the documentary, though both deny wrongdoing – as does the party. The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into whether any laws were broken.
There’s no suggestion that the new donations revealed by DeSmog are illegal. Donations from overseas sources are allowed if the individual is on the UK electoral register or if the business is based in the UK. An overseas company can also donate via a UK subsidiary.
However, this new analysis further demonstrates Reform’s reliance on backers who have extensive foreign funding streams.
