Reform UK has been fined more than £۲,۰۰۰ for failing to declare it was the publisher of campaign material seen by voters – including an additional penalty for failing to pay on time.
Nigel Farage’s party was sanctioned by the Electoral Commission after four items of elections material were missing an “imprint” – a declaration of the publisher so voters know who has paid for the promotional message.
It was due to pay £۱,۷۵۰ on ۲۳ September. However, the fine was increased by a quarter to £۲,۱۸۷ as a result of Reform UK missing the payment deadline, with the penalty eventually paid a month later on ۲۰ October ۲۰۲۶.
Jackie Killeen, director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said: “The UK’s political finance and imprints laws are there to ensure transparency in both the finances of political parties and the materials produced to influence voters.
“As a regulator, we take proportionate action based on the facts and circumstances of each case, as set out in our enforcement policy. We seek to support compliance and deliver transparency, and we will take enforcement action where necessary.”
The fine is unrelated to a separate complaint about the Reform candidate’s election material in the Gorton and Denton byelection in February this year.
On that occasion, the party sent out a letter designed to look as if it was handwritten by local resident Patricia Clegg, who said she no longer wanted to vote Labour, but who was in fact working for Reform – without including an imprint.
The party said it was caused by a printing error, with the company having accidentally left the imprint off the material.
Reform’s censure from the Electoral Commission came as the party said it has reported ITV to the police after the broadcaster’s exposé which revealed racist remarks by members of the party.
Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, announced the party would also launch a legal challenge against the multiple ITV journalists and the broadcaster’s board of directors.
The undercover investigation by ITV included footage of councillors and candidates within Reform using racist language.
In one excerpt, black children were referred to as “animals”, while in another a Reform member said his area had become “infested” with Asian families.
In a social media video, Yusuf said: “We have reported multiple ITV journalists and their board of directors to the police, and will be taking legal action against all of them. Journalists are supposed to report the news. These ones set out to create it.”
He claimed that the undercover ITV reporter who became employed as a Reform press officer had “doctored” her passport to gain the job.
He also said two undercover reporters who joined Reform members campaigning in Portsmouth had been reported to the police, as it is illegal to pay someone to canvass for a candidate.
An ITV spokesperson said: “ITV stands by its journalism. The programme Undercover: A Year In Reform was produced in compliance with the Ofcom broadcasting code, relevant laws, and its broadcast is in the public interest.
“All journalists were instructed to operate within this framework and did so under the supervision of the programme’s producers. Should the police get in touch, we would fully cooperate.”
