REFORM UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord has said that Nigel Farage being secretly recorded discussing allegedly illegal donations to the party is “not a good look” – but claimed it is understandable that he was not actually listening.
Offord also claimed the whole thing was "fake news" and that it had been "create[d]" by Channel 4.
Farage and Reform UK have found themselves at the centre of a legal storm after undercover reporters with the group Verbatim recorded Farage and two of his closest aides talking about funnelling a US donor’s money into the UK party – which would be a breach of elections law.
Video evidence first reported by Channel 4, who were approached by the group, appeared to show that James Orr, the party’s head of policy, and Dan Jukes, Farage’s right-hand man, had planned for Reform UK to accept a £500,000 donation from a foreign donor after accepting a £32,500 “donation in kind” to fund pro-Reform polling.
One video clip of a meeting in Clacton appeared to show that Farage was aware that a US donor had paid for the polling, saying: “Yeah. That’s great. It worked. Boom.”
It also showed Farage saying “thank you” after having an apparently unlawful plan to funnel US money to the Reform UK outlined to him.
However, in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg which was broadcast on Sunday, Farage claimed he “wasn’t even listening” during the conversations he was filmed engaging in.
Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, his Scottish lieutenant Offord said he could understand why Farage wouldn’t have been paying attention, but accepted it wasn’t a good look.
However, the Reform MSP also called the whole story “fake news” and claimed that Channel 4 had created it – despite the broadcaster not being involved in the Verbatim groups’ undercover work.
Offord said: “Look, the Channel 4 thing, no question about it, that's appalling, and it's appalling on two levels.
“It's appalling in the fact that it is literally fake news, because Channel 4 is a public service broadcaster and its job is to report news, not to create news, but it's also appalling on Reform’s part that two staffers put our leader in a position to be sat in front of hoaxsters and fraudsters.
“That is why they've resigned, and that's why we now have an internal investigation.”
Asked if Farage’s claim not to have been listening to the private meeting he was filmed attending was “credible”, Offord said: “Well, I can understand what's going on there.
“He's completely disengaged from that conversation. He’s been brought in to shake hands with somebody. He shouldn't be put in that position.
“And second of all, those staff members are not actually in the unit that we have, which is the fundraising unit, which is a highly professional unit which does vetting on every single donor. Nigel Farage has been very, very clear that we do not take illegal money, full stop.”
Pushed, Offord went on: “Well, I think in that situation he was very focused on the Clacton by-election, he was brought away to this, he shouldn't have been pulled away at that point.
“I can see why he was disengaged, and it's not a good look. I don't argue with that. But I'm very clear, and Nigel Farage has been very, very clear that no illegal donations will ever be taken by Reform.”
SNP MSP Steven Bonnar said that Farage’s “car crash interview claim that he wasn't listening will fool absolutely nobody”.
“He must resign and we can put an end to a political career that has caused so much division and damage,” Bonnar said.
“The latest in a long line of scandals must finally finish Farage. Reform UK have been utterly exposed and it is absolutely right that the Electoral Commission and the police are investigating this matter.”
A Met Police spokesperson said on Friday: “We’re aware of media reporting on Thursday, September 3 involving political party donations and an alleged breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 relating to polling.
"We will assess this matter and any information provided to us."
