Reform scandals show why Britain must act on secret political funding

Just as the turquoise Tories gather in Birmingham for their annual conference, Nigel Farage and Reform UK have been rocked by yet another scandal over money.

Undercover footage, broadcast last night on Channel 4, showed Farage and others celebrating secret foreign donations – with two aides arranging with a fictional ‘off the books’ backer to fund three influential polls commissioned by the party, while appearing to plot ways to avoid electoral laws on foreign donations. Both officials have since stepped down from their posts, with Reform UK launching an investigation.

With Labour planning to refer Reform to the police over the allegations, party chair Bridget Phillipson put it best: “It’s not just Farage’s secret £5 million ‘gift’. Time and again, he and his mates think the rules don’t apply to them.

“The sleaze and scandal now engulfing him and his party isn’t going away. It’s time to stop the deflections and desperate excuses. Farage and Reform must co-operate with the authorities to establish the truth and prove just how deep this scandal goes.”

The investigation wasn’t even the only donation story of the day for Reform, with a British crypto billionaire Ben Delo donating another £4 million to Farage’s party.

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The accusations strike at the heart of a core principle of our democracy: we have a right to know who is funding our elected officials. If a man hoping to secure the keys to Number 10 is benefiting from political funding behind closed doors, it is entirely reasonable to question what influence those donors might seek in return.

The same is true of some of the million-pound donations that have begun to pollute our politics. When politicians receive large sums from individual billionaires, there is an obvious risk to public confidence that those donors may gain disproportionate access or influence over the politicians they seek to support.

All of this exposes how Britain’s legislation is not equipped to deal with the rise of ‘mega-donors’. Without action now, UK politics could devolve into a competition of which party can attract those with the deepest pockets, mirroring the money-driven nature of American elections.

While Labour has already committed to an annual cap of £100,000 for overseas donations, it is clear that those seeking to influence our politics will look for any loophole and exploit it to the fullest extent.

That’s why Andy Burnham and his government must move at speed to find a solution that addresses this; whether through changes to the Representation of the People Bill or other urgent legislation.

British democracy is fragile and precious – and it depends on voters being able to see who is funding the politicians asking for their support. Failure to strengthen those protections now, as our democracy faces growing challenges from outside forces, risks allowing that transparency and our democracy to wither on the vine.

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