Police assess claims Reform UK breached electoral law during Farage campaign | Reform UK
Police are investigating allegations that Reform UK breached electoral law during its campaign to win Nigel Farage’s House of Commons seat in last year’s general election.
Political opponents have called on the party leader to “explain” over allegations from a former aide that he misreported election spending in the Clacton constituency he represented after Reform’s election victory in 2024.
Richard Everett, a former Reform councilor and member of Farage’s campaign team, has reportedly handed over documents to police showing the party spent more than the £20,660 limit in his Essex constituency.
On Monday, Essex police said they were investigating allegations that expenses had been misreported by a political party understood to be Reform.
The news comes as Farage faces mounting pressure to apologize for allegations of racism told to the Guardian by 28 of his colleagues at Dulwich University.
The last person to speak publicly was Yinka Bankole, who claimed the younger Farage told him “this is the way back to Africa” and said he felt compelled to speak out after the Reform leader attempted to “deny or ignore” the pain of his alleged targets. Farage told reporters he had never been a racist or “malicious” anti-Semite.
Reform vehemently denied violating the law on election spending and accused Everett of being a “disgruntled former councillor” who was expelled from the party several months ago.
But Labor and the Conservatives said Farage had questions to answer about the allegations.
according to Daily TelegraphEverett claimed Reform failed to declare expenses for leaflets, banners, utility bills and the renovation of a bar at its Clacton campaign office. The newspaper said it had submitted the documents, along with the allegations, to the Metropolitan police.
He claims the party declared this was just £400 below the spending limit set by electoral law, and that undeclared expenses would rise above that limit. But he also said he thought Farage himself was “blissfully unaware”.
Labor leader Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage urgently needs to answer serious questions about whether he broke the law and misled the public when he went to parliament to vote. Our parliamentary democracy depends on people playing by the rules so all candidates have a fair hearing in front of the public.”
“Nigel Farage must come clean and put all the evidence on the table to prove that he did not undermine our democracy by breaking the rules. Failure to do so will raise further questions about what he must be hiding.”
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake called on the police and the Electoral Commission to investigate Everett’s claims. “We all have an obligation to play by the rules to ensure our elections are free and fair.”
Everett, who switched from the Conservatives to Reform last year, has since left the party and now serves as an independent councillor.
A Reform spokesman said: “These false allegations come from a disgruntled former councillor. The party denies breaching electoral law. We look forward to clearing our name.”
Everett reportedly first made his complaint to the Metropolitan police. On Monday police said: “The Met received an online report on Friday, December 5, regarding misreported expenses by a candidate in connection with the 2024 general election.”
Later the same day, Essex police said: “Following guidance from the Met police, we are considering a report regarding the alleged misreporting of expenses by a political party in connection with the 2024 general election.”
Although neither force named a party or candidate, the Met said the transfer to the Essex force took place “due to the location of the alleged offences”.
