Channel 4 undercover re Farage

Are Reform throwing James Orr under the bus?

I'm not sure that will do much for Farage in the long term.

I'm speaking off the cuff here because I haven't looked into it in depth, but my impression is that Orr is Thiel's pet project. Whereas Farage is just the useful clown – a Poundshop Donald to front the circus.

If it came to a choice between rescuing Orr, or rescuing Farage, I'd expect Thiel to plump for Orr. Longer term investment, deeper game.

But as I say, my knowledge is superficial so I could be very wrong.

I disagree.
I think part of cleaning up politics needs to mean an end to the "freebies and second jobs" culture.
As civil servants DH and I wouldn't dream of accepting even nominal freebies or using our main job to get a profitable consultancy role. I don't know why MPs aren't held to the same standard.

Nevertheless, their letter only refers to Mr James Orr in the heading.

Harriet Harman doesn't seem to think the £5 million donation is that important;

2 Sept 2025
“In the end, the committee members are there to ensure the rules are followed and they expect those being investigated to uphold the integrity of the process. If Mr Farage were to simply apologise and register the donation then that would probably be an end to the matter.

“But on the other end of the scale, if he attacks the integrity of the process then he undermining it and faces a stiffer penalty.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-crypto-billionaire-gift-standards-committee-b3043501.html

At least it will have caught them on the back foot before their conference starts properly tomorrow.

Ive watched the video from Channel 4

I'm so sorry, this wont come close to bringing him down 😔

Marvellous stuff. Bunch of ne’er do wells and their private company.

I honestly dont think so, unless its on GMB and LBC and Talk Tv news - but agree that those who do wont care anyway

I do wonder if creeps like Jenrick and Braverman regret jumping ship. Especially now considering the Tories were already ahead in the polls today before this story broke.

Brilliant journalism from ch4, as it often it is.
Encouraging to see it is also top story on BBC news too.
The hardcore reform voters won’t bat an eyelid, but the middle ground will do.

The whole party (ltd company) is up to its eyeballs in muck already, and has been for some time

Free clothes that are properly declared are not the same at all

It's not all the same. Rayner was cleared of wrong doing by HMRC and clothes and specs do not compare to £5 million pound bribes and hidden foreign donations. It's not the same, and you do yourself and democracy a disservice by claiming so.

They don't have it in for Farage. The man is a charlatan and a crook and needs to be exposed. He's wholly unfit to serve in high office and the public need to be made aware of that. Investigative journalists do not have it in for him, they're doing their jobs! If he was innocent and a decent man, there would be nothing to see. But there is. He and his cronies are all corrupt.

If there is nothing to see with the undeclared £5m donation,then Farage has nothing to fear from the committee and would welcome scrutiny.

It's not like the media were quiet about Starmer's glasses or Rayner's tax

I can’t see this story on the Telegraph nor the Dsily Mail webpages. Might just have missed it 🤣 Sadly I don’t think his supporters will care. They’re deluded. But people are throwing the whole kitchen sink at stopping them.

Honestly, unless its splashed across the front page of the sun and the daily star, his supporters wont even hear about it

And we know that wont happen

https://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-farage-should-face-full-force-of-law-if-found-guilty-of-election-rules-breach-sir-ed-davey

Haha, cross-posted with @Portakalkedi .

Well, your wish is being granted.

Reform is indeed getting the same treatment as the other parties: proper scrutiny, and being held to account.

This is the sort of scrutiny the other major parties have always been under.

Reform seemed to think they could avoid it forever.

I would not describe myself as a supporter of Farage but clearly certain parts of the media really have it in for him and Reform, which smacks of fear at their popularity. They're ALL bent, look at Starmer et al with his free clothes, Rayner, now back in cabinet after tax evasion, all the dodgy expenses, all the same, only the amounts of ££ vary. I'd like to see the same treatment given to every one of them.

So the conference is going ahead but the BBC says

Reform UK have launched an internal investigation into Jukes and Orr

Yes!

IIRC the Reform apparatchik named several other impermissible donors laundering their donations through their children.

But the broadcasters redacted the names.

Wonder how long till all those come out!

Jukes and/or Orr proactively suggest the donation should appear to come from the "son".

During the Clacton by-election campaign, Jukes says that Farage wants to meet the "American donor" and will either helicopter to Battersea to see him, or helicopter the "American donor" to Clacton. The meeting takes place in Clacton, where Jukes, Farage, the "American donor" and the "son" are filmed appearing to conspire to circumvent the law (to put it kindly).

Farage senior aide filmed suggesting way to avoid donations law
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr50ddzl97qo
Farage says "it's all above board" after the son has told him he has been in discussions with both Jukes and Reform's Head of Policy, James Orr about it for some time.
"I'll be the registered donor," the son says. "But then dad will send the money to me, and then as soon as that's done and all those conversations are had the money is available."
"Thank you. Well, both of you. Thank you," Farage is heard saying.