Met Police Open Investigation Into Donations to Farage's Reform UK
The Met is investigating Reform UK over "impermissible" donations as Farage triggers a by-election
Britain’s Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into alleged illegal donations to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, amid a widening campaign-finance scandal that prompted the politician to abruptly resign his seat in parliament earlier this week.
A Met spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the party is under investigation over millions of pounds received from what were described as “impermissible” donors. Detectives from the force’s Special Enquiry Team, the spokesperson said, are examining alleged offences under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Two people have so far been interviewed, and no arrests have been made.
Resignation and a by-election
Farage stepped down as the MP for Clacton on Tuesday, triggering a by-election in which he intends to seek a fresh mandate from his constituents after the scandal came to light. The Reform UK leader — frequently compared in the media to US President Donald Trump — said he would “fight to win” the contest, framing his resignation as a chance to run again immediately and let the people of Clacton “be the judges of his actions.” Should he be returned to parliament, he said, he would press on with what he called the political revolution Reform had begun.
A vocal former Brexit campaigner, Farage has characterised the donations to his party as a reward for his years of political work, describing them as an “unconditional gift” that he could spend as he pleased — on, in his words, “Ferraris or the horses.”
Condemnation and questions over timing
Britain’s main political parties have condemned Farage over the affair, and his decision to resign and immediately seek re-election has been dismissed by critics as a political stunt designed to evade accountability. The by-election is scheduled for mid-August.
Farage has led Reform UK since 2024. He previously served as a member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union in 2020, and sat as the MP for Clacton from 2024.
Reference: PressTv