Nigel Farage has mounted a forceful defence of Reform UK after allegations that the party breached political donation laws threatened to overshadow its annual conference.
His address was delayed by a “security alert” and interrupted four times by hecklers, but Mr Farage told supporters he would not allow what he described as a “highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks” to derail his political programme.
The gathering at Birmingham’s NEC came amid fresh scrutiny of Reform’s finances, following Channel 4 footage that appeared to capture senior party figures discussing ways to disguise donations from overseas sources.
The recordings formed part of an investigation by the undercover group Verbatim. Its reporters posed as an American donor and his son, who had paid for polling allegedly commissioned by Reform and were seeking to route funds to the party.
Accepting a donation from a foreign company — including an in-kind contribution such as polling — could amount to a criminal offence, and the allegations have been referred to police.
The Liberal Democrats have separately asked Parliament’s standards watchdog to examine the claims.
Dan Jukes, a long-standing aide to Mr Farage, and James Orr, Reform’s head of policy, have stepped aside while the party carries out an internal investigation into their appearance in the footage.
In one recording, Mr Jukes appeared to imply that Reform had previously concealed donations originating overseas.
He denies any wrongdoing and has accused the undercover journalists behind the investigation of “entrapment”.
Mr Farage has repeatedly said the party committed no offence, describing Mr Jukes’s remarks as “loose pub talk” containing “a couple of boasts that simply were not true”.
James Orr (L) and Dan Jukes have stepped down from the Reform UK party
Addressing the conference, Mr Farage said Reform had faced a “highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks” from an “ecosystem” formed around Labour and the Conservatives over the past century.
“They were never going to come out with a tray of gin and tonics, I promise you,” he said.
“But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing.”
Mr Farage continued: “Reform has broken no law. We take compliance extremely seriously.
“And ask yourself, why is all of this happening? Anyone got a clue why it’s happening? Because they’re scared of us. That’s why it’s happening.”
Reform accused of breaching donation rules after undercover footage airs
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Before Mr Farage took to the stage, his deputy Richard Tice was interrupted by a banner planted by Greenpeace UK that read: “Collect £5 million, burn the planet.”
Mr Farage’s speech was then disrupted on four occasions by protesters heckling him over climate change.
The conference has been presented as an opportunity to outline Reform’s plans for the first 100 days of a future government.
Mr Farage used his address to promise that he would declare a “national emergency” and require Parliament to sit around the clock to pass legislation implementing the party’s priorities.
He also pledged to remove barriers to Reform’s programme, warning that he could appoint hundreds of new peers or call a referendum on the “current composition of the House of Lords” if the upper chamber rejected policies contained in the party’s manifesto.
The judiciary, he suggested, could represent another “obstacle” to his plans. He also hinted that Reform would seek to alter the process for appointing senior judges.
Nigel Farage spoke alongside French National Rally president Jordan Bardella
The conference is scheduled to continue tomorrow, when Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick is expected to outline proposals to reduce taxes for working people.
Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: “Nigel Farage is up to his neck in sleaze and scandal. His desperate deflection tactics and complete failure to take personal responsibility for his actions has thrown his conference into chaos and his party into crisis.
“If Farage can’t get his own house in order, he simply can’t be trusted to address the issues the country faces.”
A Green Party spokesperson said: “Like a stopped clock, Nigel Farage is right: there is a national emergency. But it’s not the one he claims or would ever be willing to do anything about.
“This summer’s extreme heat and wildfires, and the prospect of flash floods to come, prove that the world, not just Britain, is facing a climate emergency and we need to act now.
“At the same time, the cost-of-living crisis is squeezing family finances more and more all while Reform laugh their way through their champagne breakfasts.”
Farage opens door for Napoleon III remains to be returned to France
Mr Farage also said he would consider allowing the remains of Napoleon III, France’s first president, to be repatriated from the UK.
Napoleon III served as president from 1848 to 1852 before becoming emperor, a position he held until 1870.
His exile in Britain followed France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. He died in 1873 in Chislehurst, Kent, and was buried at St Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough.
Mr Farage appeared alongside National Rally president Jordan Bardella, who had also addressed delegates at the conference.
Napoleon III was French emperor between 1852 and 1870
Speaking through a translator, Mr Bardella said: “President Macron’s visit along with the inauguration of the Bayeux Tapestry has demonstrated the possibility of cooperation between our countries, and I told (Mr Farage) that we wouldn’t be against the body of Napoleon III returning to France.”
Mr Farage replied: “Yes, that’s the next big debate. Should the last French emperor and first president, should his body be returned to France? We’re going to have a proper debate about that too. There are many antique artefacts that I’m against giving away, but this one, do you know what? If they want him, I think they can have him actually. But there might be legal reasons why not.”
