Reform UK officials resign over alleged foreign funding evasion

Reform UK party officials Dan Jukes and James Orr resigned Friday after undercover footage allegedly showed them discussing ways to evade UK laws banning foreign political donations, prompting an internal probe and police scrutiny. Channel 4 aired secretly recorded meetings where Jukes appeared to discuss a £500,000 donation from a purported American financier routed through a UK-based son, while Orr allegedly proposed funding opinion polls directly to bypass donor restrictions. UK law permits donations only from British voters or UK-registered businesses. Reform denies wrongdoing, with leader Nigel Farage calling the investigation entrapment, though Labour has asked police to investigate. The scandal follows prior funding controversies involving Farage, and polling shows Reform's popularity has slipped to 23 percent, tied with Labour.