It comes after Nigel Farage’s party was reported to the police over allegations it breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Reform UK took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported. But the purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.
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Foreign companies are not a permissible source of funding for parties, including for payments for studies and research, and accepting donations from them could constitute a criminal offence.
The Liberal Democrats have written to the Metropolitan Police and Electoral Commission.
Reform denies any wrongdoing.
But now, the Scottish Lib Dems have written to Malcolm Offord urging him to rule out any involvement from the party’s Scottish arm.
The party’s public service reform spokesperson David Green has written a letter saying that Offord must “do the right thing” and address the scandal.
“These laws apply to Reform as much as they do to any other political party,” the MSP said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Stefan Rousseau)
“They exist to protect the integrity of our democracy and prevent interference from those overseas, including hostile states.”
He added: “The Channel 4 reporting sparks big questions for the Reform party, including its leader in Scotland.
“People are fed up with the sleaze and scandal infecting our politics. Malcolm Offord must do the right thing and categorically rule out ever having accepted or benefited from these kinds of dodgy donations.”
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Reform Scotland have been approached for comment.
The revelations by Channel 4 and Verbatim come amid ongoing scrutiny on funding both Farage and his party have received.
The Reform leader faces a parliamentary investigation into whether he should have declared a £5 million gift from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne given shortly before he was first elected to the Commons in 2024.
The SNP, meanwhile, has said that the latest political donations scandal involving Reform UK must “finish Farage” by forcing his resignation and ending his political career. The party added that this latest scandal also highlighted that Andy Burnham’s decision to vote down political donation reform this week “looked weak at the time, but it looks horrendous now”.
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said: “The latest in a long line of scandals must finally finish Farage – he must resign and we can hopefully put an end to a political career that has caused so much division and damage. “Reform UK have been utterly exposed and it is absolutely right that the Electoral Commission and the police are investigating this matter.”
He added: “This latest scandal again exposes the broader reality of a murky culture in Westminster that falls far short of the transparency that is required of a functioning democracy.
“That was made absolutely clear when the Westminster establishment voted down proposals to review and cap political donations in the UK this week.
“Andy Burnham promised he’d tackle this issue head on, but instead he’s done what the Westminster parties always do when they get into power – close the door behind them.
“His decision to vote down reforms this week looked weak then, it looks horrendous now – we need a full U-turn from the Labour Party and a review into Westminster donations.”