Farage donor scandal turns spotlight on UK polling industry

Key Points:

• The British polling industry faces scrutiny following a scandal involving Reform UK, where undercover reporters funded polls without disclosing the source, conducted by JL Partners, a firm linked to former Prime Minister Theresa May's adviser James Johnson.
• JL Partners conducted undisclosed polls for Tory leadership campaigns in 2022 and 2024, including those of Rishi Sunak and Tom Tugendhat, with positive results shared publicly but without revealing who financed the research.
• Other polling firms have also failed to properly disclose clients, including Opinium and Savanta, leading to calls for stricter transparency standards from the British Polling Council and campaign groups.
• The British Polling Council confirmed breaches of its rules and is seeking further information from JL Partners, while the Met Police investigates the Reform UK sting; meanwhile, Reform UK denies wrongdoing.
• Transparency advocates warn of a broader issue in the polling industry, urging the British Polling Council to investigate potential systemic non-disclosure and closer ties between pollsters and political parties.