Investigation launched into polling firm at centre of Reform UK allegations

British Polling Council and Market Research Society announce inquiries into JL Partners, which has been accused of breaking transparency rules

What is the latest finance scandal facing Reform UK?

A polling firm at the centre of allegations that Reform UK breached electoral law is being investigated by two industry bodies.

JL Partners, which is run by former Conservative aides, has been accused of breaking transparency rules by failing to declare that three separate polls had been commissioned by the party.

The company is a member of the British Polling Council and the Market Research Society, who say the identity of a client commissioning a poll should be disclosed when the results enter the public domain.

Both organisations confirmed on Friday that they had launched inquiries into JL Partners. The reviews have come after Channel 4 News broadcast footage gathered by undercover reporters during a year-long investigation into Reform’s finances on Thursday night.

Investigative journalists from Verbatim, founded by the Centre for Climate Reporting, posed as a Reform donor and his American father, who paid for more than £30,000 of polling from JL Partners that generated positive headlines for the party.

Nigel Farage, the party leader, was filmed saying the polling was “amazing” and provided “bang for buck”.

In the footage, Farage appeared to welcome the suggestion of a larger donation to the party. He was told the UK-based son could be registered as the official donor, despite the money originating from his father. Farage said: “Both of you, thank you.”

In the UK, only those registered on the electoral roll are permitted to donate to political parties, meaning the polls and the proposed larger donation could both be classed as illegal.

On Friday, as its annual conference got under way in Birmingham, Reform said it had suspended two senior officials who were filmed as part of the Channel 4 News investigation.

James Orr, the party’s head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a senior adviser to Farage, were both recorded apparently plotting to bypass electoral laws.

The first poll, conducted in January, related to the Labour government’s aborted plans to cancel some local elections, which Reform strongly opposed. The poll indicated Labour would face heavy defeats if these went ahead.

The second, published in April, suggested that two-thirds of voters wanted the then prime minister, Keir Starmer, to resign. The third, released in June, appeared to show that support for Reform among trade union members was drawing level with Labour.

JL Partners’ co-founder James Johnson was covertly filmed discussing the Reform polling, telling one of the reporters that his company had done “a little bit of informal rule-bending” in relation to one survey. He admitted that it “should have disclosed who the client was” when publishing the data.

The results of the polling appeared on the front pages of the Times and the Daily Telegraph. Both newspapers said they had not been aware that the polling had been commissioned by Reform.

The British Polling Council said on Friday that “all data and research findings made on the basis of social or political polls conducted in the United Kingdom … must include reference to the client commissioning the survey”. It added that it was clear its rules had been breached in relation to the polls paid for by Reform.

“According to the programme, this may have been deliberate,” a spokesperson added. “We are seeking further information from the BPC member concerned and expect them to make information available after further consideration.”

The Market Research Society said: “MRS is aware of the Channel 4 reporting involving an MRS Company Partner. The matter is being referred to the Market Research Standards Board (MRSB) for review in line with its established complaint procedures.”

JL Partners told Channel 4 News: “Despite there being no concern about the accuracy of our work, the report did reveal weaknesses in our procedures. For that reason JL Partners is reviewing those procedures in order to eliminate possible grey areas and ambiguities and strengthen our safeguards for the future.”

The company did not respond to follow-up queries from the Guardian.