Reform UK conference opens amid fresh donation scandal

Reform UK's annual conference opened in Birmingham on Friday under fresh scrutiny over alleged illegal foreign donations, with two senior officials resigning hours before Nigel Farage's keynote address following an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News. The resignations of James Orr and Dan Jukes came after the investigation alleged they conspired to secure a foreign donation, which is barred under UK electoral law. The ruling Labour party and others reported Reform to police over claims it took funding from a US firm for opinion polls, though the purported donors were undercover reporters. Farage insists the party broke no laws and was a victim of entrapment. The scandal adds to existing pressure on Farage, who faces a parliamentary sleaze watchdog investigation over a £5 million donation from a British crypto billionaire. Reform has slipped behind Labour in polls since Andy Burnham became prime minister, with Farage's net approval rating at -28 compared to Burnham's +11.