Nigel Farage will try to shake off ongoing scrutiny about funding both he and Reform UK have received as the party’s conference begins.

The Clacton MP has just returned to parliament after winning a by-election he called in his constituency in protest at the Commons’ standards inquiry against him over a donation from Christopher Harborne.

On the eve of the Reform conference, which begins in Birmingham on Thursday, Mr Farage told the BBC his party is up against a “complainant society” and suggested that he would not get a fair hearing on whether he broke parliamentary rules for failing to declare the cash, because the MPs on the committee have already prejudged him as guilty.

Reform’s conference begins as it fell behind the Conservatives into third place in the polls -–its lowest performance in the last 18 months.

In a new voting intention poll from More in Common on 1 September, the right-wing party has landed on 22 per cent, four points behind Labour and one point behind the Tories.

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Analysis: Beleaguered Reform are hoping for a big reset this week

Political editor David Maddox writes:

After dominating British politics for most of the last two years, Reform UK arrive in Birmingham with a myriad of problems.

Nigel Farage’s party is no longer leading in the polls and in one case was even pushed into third place behind the Tories.

Their pitch to the country that they are the inevitable next government has already come apart.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage has looked tired and angry over pressure on donations he received which has led to an ongoing investigations by the standards commissioner.

Reform believe there is some sort of establishment plot against them and have even banned some journalists from attending the conference in Birmingham. But they are lacking in policies, have question marks over the depth of their talent and are now up against a new Labour leader and prime minister in Andy Burnham who has shown he can take them on.

The deputy leader Richard Tice has said that the aim this week is to get the country to “love Nigel Farage again.”

The bigger problem is that while Mr Farage is adored by some he is hated by many more and is arguably the most divisive figure in politics.

Added to that a new party on the right – Restore Britain led by former Reform MP Ruper Lowe – is eating away at Mr Farage’s core support.

Harriette Boucher3 September 2026 08:38

Support for Reform at 18-month low

Reform has fallen to their lowest performance in opinion polls in more than 18 months amid intense scrutiny over undeclared donations to its leader.

Nigel Farage’s party will now be looking to regain support at the party conference on Thursday after sliding into third place.

The new More in Common voting intention poll puts the party at 22 per cent, with Tories in second place at 23 per cent, and Labour in the lead on 26 per cent.

It is the party’s lowest approval rating since January 2025.

Harriette Boucher3 September 2026 08:35

Farage warned he could face stiffer penalty after claiming probe into £5m crypto donation is rigged

Nigel Farage has been warned that he could receive a “stiffer penalty” after he claimed that the result of an inquiry into his undeclared £5m donation from a crypto billionaire is rigged against him.

The leader of Reform UK has just returned to parliament after winning a by-election he called in his Clacton constituency in protest at the Commons’ standards inquiry against him over the donation from Christopher Harborne.

He suggested to the BBC that he would not get a fair hearing on whether he broke parliamentary rules for failing to declare the cash, because the MPs on the committee have already prejudged him as guilty.

He told the BBC: “Well, I mean, that investigation, the outcome. Have you seen who is on the committee? I think we know the outcome already.”

But former Labour deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman, who chaired the Privileges Committee inquiry into the Boris Johnson Partygate scandal where the former prime minister received a stiffer penalty for his attacks on the process, warned Mr Farage could face the same fate, if he is found to have breached the rules.

Farage warned he could face ‘stiffer penalty’ after attack on £5m donation inquiry

The warning has come from Baroness Harriet Harman who chaired the Privileges Committee inquiry into Boris Johnson when his punishment for lying about Partygate was increased for trying to undermine the inquiry Harriette Boucher3 September 2026 08:25

Farage looks to play down donations as party conference begins

Nigel Farage will use his party’s conference to try and shake off scrutiny surrounding undeclared donations to Reform and reverse sliding poll ratings.

The party’s largest annual conference is kicking off in Birmingham on Thursday and comes just two days after the leader was sworn in after being re-elected as Clacton MP.

His return to parliament has reopened the probe into his undeclared £5M resignation from Christopher Harborne.

It also comes as Reform slid into third place in the opinion polls in its lowest performance in 18 months.

Harriette Boucher3 September 2026 08:24

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