A Christian theologian has stepped down as Reform UK’s head of policy following an undercover investigation that appears to show discussions about circumventing rules on overseas donations.
Dr James Orr, an associate professor at the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Divinity, was filmed by journalists from Verbatim Investigations. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The report, broadcast by Channel 4 on Thursday, alleged that Dr Orr helped line up foreign donors to pay for political polling. Under UK electoral law, political donations from overseas non-electors are illegal.
During a meal with an undercover reporter posing as the representative of an American businessman, Dr Orr stated that he reports directly to Nigel Farage and holds "enormous power in the party, if I want it."
At a separate meeting in Mayfair, he presented an opinion poll for which the party had received quotes, suggesting that an invoice could be directed to the overseas business.
He was recorded saying: "Even if everything were to come out, which it won’t… nobody has done anything wrong. No money’s exchanged. It’s just a suggestion."
It is alleged that Dr Orr, alongside Farage aide Dan Jukes, helped arrange funding from a US entity to pay for three opinion polls costing £32,500. The results, published ahead of local elections, featured on several national newspaper front pages. Dr Orr noted that the financial backing "gave us massive momentum and public credibility."
The theologian has since left his role at Reform UK while the party conducts an internal investigation.
Speaking at the Reform UK party conference on Friday, Nigel Farage insisted that the party had "broken no laws." He characterised the discussions involving Dr Orr and Mr Jukes as "loose pub talk," adding that neither individual was "authorised to act in that way."
In a video statement posted to social media, Dr Orr claimed that Verbatim Investigations had attempted to entice him and party officials "to break the law, to create a scandal for his documentary that would discredit Reform UK."
Dr Orr said: "No money reached Reform UK at all. No donation reached Reform UK, whether it was in cash or in kind. No benefit reached Reform that only Reform enjoyed. This guy paid a pollster to run a poll that went to the national newspapers. That’s it."
He added that it was "pretty troubling that politically motivated actors trying to discredit a political opponent through dubiously legal means have effectively been able to collude with a public broadcaster to discredit a major political party."
Dr Orr had served as an advisor to Mr Farage since October before being appointed as head of policy in April.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Dr Orr shared that he left a career in corporate law following a religious awakening in 2003, after attending an Alpha course. He subsequently pursued philosophical studies, completing a PhD focused on divine lawmaking.