At the Reform party conference in Birmingham, Nigel Farage declared in his speech, "I can't be bought," but this statement looks dubious after an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Farage had planned to declare a national emergency, but instead was forced to answer questions about the party's financial scandals. He called it a "hoax" and said no laws were broken, but the investigation footage showed the party was willing to accept money from foreign donors.
The scandal
According to Channel 4's undercover investigation, two of Farage's closest aides — James Orr (a Cambridge associate professor) and Dan Jukes (Farage's trusted aide for over a decade) — agreed to accept donations from foreign donors. They accepted £35,000 to pay for an opinion poll and indicated they would have been happy to take £500,000 if it had been genuine.
Interim party leader Richard Tice and Lee Anderson called it a "plot by left-wing eco-activists." Anderson said Orr and Jukes had been suspended from the party and an investigation had been launched, but he couldn't say who was leading it.
Farage's reaction
Farage described his aides as "contractors," claiming he barely knew them. At a press conference, he said it was a "misunderstanding" and "pub talk." However, Farage himself was caught on hidden camera in a restaurant in Clacton, dining with foreign donors on champagne and oysters.
Other conference events
8,000 people attended the conference, but organisers struggled with queues. In an interview with Jeremy Kyle, one attendee said all woke people should be hanged. Guest speaker Jordan Bardella, leader of France's National Rally, also addressed the conference.
Conclusion
Farage tried to defend his party's reputation, but the new scandal may cast a shadow over his political future. Critics argue his claim "I can't be bought" does not match reality.