Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC on September 25, 2026, that he is not tempted to call an early election, saying it would throw the country into a "backward-looking process." His advisers had reportedly been exploring scenarios for an early poll.
A detailed YouGov MRP poll released on 2026-09-24 showed Nigel Farage's Reform UK dropping from first place to third in voting intention, with Labour positioned to win the most seats and the election heading toward a hung parliament. The decline represents a major setback for Farage's ambitions to become prime minister.
Nigel Farage announced Helen Jenner, a Senedd member representing Bangor Conwy Mon, as the new leader of Reform UK in Wales on 21 September 2026. The appointment followed the arrest of previous leader Dan Thomas, which Farage dismissed as a 'bump in the road'.
Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, a politician for Reform UK, defected to Plaid Cymru after accusing Reform of having "no interest in Wales." Reform leader Richard Tice countered on September 19, 2026, that she had lied about her beliefs and revealed she had voted Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.
Dan Thomas, Reform UK's leader in Wales and a former Conservative councillor elected to Senedd in May 2026, resigned on September 15, 2026, after being arrested and bailed on suspicion of assault. He was released without charge following police questioning.
Reform UK received unprecedented £72 million in donations from crypto billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo in September 2026. The UK government, led by Andy Burnham, is amending electoral legislation to impose retrospective restrictions and stricter residency requirements for political donors, potentially invalidating the donations; Reform UK and leader Nigel Farage argue the funding is legal and threaten to retaliate against union funding of Labour if elected.
By September 13, 2026, Nigel Farage's Reform UK raised £72 million ($97 million) in record donations over 24 hours from cryptocurrency billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, far surpassing typical UK political fundraising. The massive influx prompted questions about political influence and economic policy alignment.
On September 12, 2026, two cryptocurrency billionaires donated $97 million (£72 million) to Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, in less than 24 hours. Christopher Harborne matched a £36 million donation by BitMEX founder Ben Delo, setting a record for political donations and fueling debate over money's influence in British politics.
Between 2026-09-11 and 2026-09-14, Reform UK received record £72 million in combined donations from crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Deputy leader Richard Tice asserted the donations were legally compliant and defended against Labour pressure for stricter donation caps, while refusing to confirm whether donors met overseas residency requirements under proposed regulations.
On 2026-09-12, cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne matched a £36 million donation to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party announced the previous day by fellow crypto billionaire Ben Delo, totaling £72 million in 48 hours. The party claims the funds will enable competitive general election campaigning.
BitMEX founder Ben Delo and cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne each donated £36 million ($48.7–49 million) to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party within 48 hours of September 11–12, 2026. Delo stated he front-loaded the donations to bypass potential changes to political funding rules by the Labour government.
Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Nigel Farage, received £72 million in donations from cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne by 12 September 2026, marking a record single contribution to a British political party. Delo was previously convicted in the US for inadequate anti-money laundering controls but was later pardoned.
Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation on 9 September 2026 into allegations that Reform UK breached electoral law by accepting foreign donations, following an undercover documentary by Channel 4. The inquiry marks the first formal police probe into the populist party led by Nigel Farage over funding violations.
Scotland Yard launched a criminal investigation on 9 September 2026 into allegations that Reform UK breached electoral law by accepting foreign donations, following an undercover documentary by Channel 4. The inquiry marks the first formal police probe into the populist party led by Nigel Farage over funding violations.
London police began investigating Nigel Farage's Reform UK party over allegations of foreign donation violations, detailed in a Channel 4 News documentary aired before September 10, 2026. Farage denied the accusations at the party's conference, insisting Reform had not accepted 'dodgy money' or broken electoral rules.
Newly released footage showed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and aides discussing how to avoid campaign finance laws with an undercover journalist on or before 5 September 2026, shifting public attention from UK Labour leader Andy Burnham's political plans.
Two senior aides to Nigel Farage resigned from Reform UK on September 4, 2026, following an undercover investigation alleging the party violated electoral law by accepting foreign funding.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party suspended two senior officials on 2026-09-04 after an undercover sting revealed videos of them discussing potential foreign funding that could breach UK electoral law.
James Orr and Dan Jukes, two senior aides to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, stepped down on 2026-09-04 pending investigation after Channel 4's undercover report alleged they breached political donation rules by arranging overseas funding. By 2026-09-05, Farage claimed he 'wasn't even listening' at the relevant meeting and predicted 'many more investigations' ahead.
Channel 4's undercover investigation on 2026-09-03 revealed Reform UK officials appearing to plot ways to circumvent electoral laws on foreign donations, with footage showing acceptance of funding from an impermissible donor. The exposé came days before the Reform UK party conference and renewed criticism of leader Nigel Farage.
By September 2, 2026, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faced questions about his claim of a widened financial standards investigation. Farage compared his situation to Donald Trump's legal troubles, characterizing both as products of a "complainants' society," after failing to register a £5 million gift.
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, unveiled policies on August 23–25, 2026, to deprioritize foreign-born citizens for social housing and allow eviction of tenants for poor garden maintenance. The party would prioritize UK-born couples under 35 with children.
On 2026-08-20, Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, accused Nigel Farage of using Christianity to channel anti-Muslim sentiment and also questioned activist Tommy Robinson's claimed faith. Williams criticized Farage's theological advisors for Reform UK.