Reform Backer Accused of Hiring Detective on Reporter
The Reform UK donor Arron Banks commissioned private investigators to look into a Sunday Times journalist who had been reporting on the party, according to a report. The allegation adds to scrutiny of the tactics deployed around Britain’s insurgent right. Mr Banks has faced questions before over his methods and finances.
The claim, if borne out, would fit a pattern of aggressive responses to journalistic scrutiny of Reform and its backers, and raises questions about press freedom and intimidation. Mr Banks, a long-time financier of the populist right, has been a combative figure since the Brexit campaign. Reform, riding high in the polls, has increasingly found its funding and methods under the microscope as its prospects grow. Press-freedom groups are likely to take a close interest. Watch whether the reporter or regulators pursue the matter.