The Metropolitan Police have expanded their criminal investigation into allegations that Reform U.K., the right-wing political party led by Nigel Farage, may have violated British laws prohibiting foreign funding in political campaigns. The inquiry follows an undercover investigation aired on September 3 by Channel 4 News, in which two of Farage’s close aides were filmed discussing potential financial contributions from individuals they believed to be foreign donors.

Under British law, political donations must be disclosed and can only come from UK-registered voters or UK-registered entities. The undercover footage showed individuals posing as American supporters claiming to have paid for opinion polls that were favorable to Reform U.K., with the party’s officials reportedly aware of these payments. Nigel Farage was seen thanking them, comments he later downplayed as part of a campaign environment where he said he was "frankly not listening." Following the broadcast, Reform suspended aides Dan Jukes and James Orr pending an internal review. The party has denied any wrongdoing, claiming it did not commission the polls and accusing the investigation of being politically motivated.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had received multiple reports connected to donations and polling involving a political party that align with prior inquiries into large donations made to Reform U.K. In particular, the police have been investigating two donations of £250,000 each, totaling £500,000, by Fiona Cottrell, mother of George Cottrell, a close associate of Mr. Farage known as “Posh George.” Two individuals have been questioned but no arrests have been reported so far. The police characterized the new allegations as similar in nature to those already under investigation and said these matters would be integrated into the ongoing inquiry.

Nigel Farage, formerly a prominent figure in Brexit campaigns and an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, recently faced separate scrutiny over his failure to declare a £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne, a British cryptocurrency investor based in Thailand. Farage contends the money was a personal gift received prior to his 2024 parliamentary candidacy and therefore outside reporting requirements. However, opponents argue it should have been declared once he was elected. Amid the controversy, Farage resigned his seat in Clacton but won a subsequent by-election, which was boycotted by major parties, allowing the parliamentary investigation into his conduct to continue.

Reform U.K. had led national opinion polls for more than a year but saw its support dip recently to around 23 percent, slightly trailing the governing Labour Party. The party held its annual conference last week, though widespread attention on the unfolding investigations overshadowed the event. Farage has criticized Verbatim, the investigative group behind the undercover operation, labeling them as "foreign-funded, climate change activists."

The Metropolitan Police have emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing, with the assessment of potential offenses requiring further review before any decisions on charges or prosecutions are made. Reform U.K. maintains it will cooperate fully with authorities.