Newsnight panel laughs as Reform councillor cites party inquiry clearing senior aides

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A Reform spokesperson who appeared on Newsnight to defend the party’s internal investigation into foreign donations has been branded a laughingstock.

Reform UK councillor Jaymey McIvor appeared on the BBC’s flagship current affairs show, where he claimed that his party had been cleared of wrongdoing… by the party itself.

Both Nigel Farage’s senior aide Dan Jukes and the party’s head of policy James Orr stand accused of breaking electoral law by discussing potential ways to secure foreign donations.

Earlier this week, Reform released an internal report clearing both men; however, the Metropolitan Police is carrying out an ongoing separate criminal investigation into the allegations.

On Newsnight, McIvor claimed that the internal report was ‘very, very thorough’ and exonerated both men.

However, his fellow panellists Rachel Millward, Richard Bacon and Ruth Davidson could barely contain their laughter at the idea that a report commissioned by Reform could be impartial.

The panel discussed Reform UK’s recent internal inquiry (Picture: BBC)

McIvor inisisted that the internal report was very thorough (Picture: BBC)

‘I think that actually the 27-page report, which I’ve personally read in full, is very, very thorough,’ McIvor began. ‘It clears the two individuals in question of any legal wrongdoing; no laws have been broken.’

A flabbergasted Bacon interrupted by saying: ‘But it’s an internal investigation… imagine getting arrested for stealing and then you say to the police, tell you what I’ve done an internal investigation’.

As Millward laughed, Davidson joined in the mockery, adding: ‘My mum says I’ve done nothing wrong’.

McIvor’s claims were laughed at by his fellow panelists (Picture: BBC)

As the panellists laughed, Bacon joked, ‘Or people I employ!’

Matt Chorley then attempted to bring some order back to proceedings, asking McIvor to tell the panel why they needed to take the internal investigation more seriously.

McIvor then explained that it was the Reform UK secretary and general secretary who investigated the matter.

Richard Bacon seemed particularly incredulous (Picture: BBC)

‘They are two individuals I would trust to independently look into something if I were [ever subject to an investigation],’ he added.

At this point, as the other three panellists giggled, an incredulous Bacon pointed out that they’re people in the hierarchy of the party.‘They are very, very respected people of the utmost integrity of professional legal background,’ McIvor replied. ‘I have absolutely no doubt that when people read that report, as I have, as I would invite your viewers to read it, and in fact, when people do read it, they will see what I concluded… was that the entrapment and behaviour of Channel 4 and Verbatim is unacceptable, and I really do hope the party does proceed with legal action against them.’

McIvor finished by reiterating that ‘no laws were broken’ by the two men caught in the Channel 4 sting.

Davidson said Reform would ‘go nuts’ if another party behaved in this way (Picture: BBC)

This caused a burst of outrage, with Bacon once again elbowing the Reform councillor by saying: ‘According to your mates’.

At the end of the conversation, Davidson laid out her thoughts on the situation.

‘I just think that if any other political party out there had been accused of [taking illegal donations] and had just cleared themselves… that Reform would have been the first people to go nuts about it,’ she said.

The clip has since gone viral on X, with many pointing claiming McIvor’s performance was laughable.

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‘The other panellists’ uncontrollable laughter at this Reform imbecile is a joy to watch,’ wrote Brendan May on X.

‘Brilliant,’ added Martin Coleman. ‘Let all those who listen to such obvious nonsense see that the world is laughing at them. Joke party. And everyone who falls for this rubbish is a joke, too.’

Meanwhile, Andrew Bunch praised McIvor for ‘keeping a straight face when muttering this embarrassing nonsense.’

Mike H went one step further, explaining that McIvor was ‘destroyed by every Newsnight guest’.

Reform denies any wrongdoing with the party’s finances.