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John,

Most political parties in Britain are run in broadly similar ways. Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP, Plaid - they are all member-run organisations. Members elect their leaders, help shape policy, oversee the rules, and ultimately hold power.

Reform UK is something very different.

Farage’s latest venture isn’t structured like a political party at all. It’s structured like a private company.

And that single decision quietly rewrites how power, money and accountability work inside a political movement.

This isn’t about policy. It’s about the health of British democracy, and the risks created when a party chooses a corporate shell over a democratic structure.

While most parties are unincorporated associations, Reform UK is built on two linked companies. A legacy company once privately owned through shares, and a newer company that now sits above it.

On paper, the company lists no people with significant control, a technical classification that makes it harder for the public to see who is actually in charge.

In practice, decisions are concentrated among a small group of directors operating behind closed doors.

Companies operate on a different logic to political parties. Directors hold power, not members. Constitutions can be changed in private. Assets, including cash, belong to the company, not the membership. Transparency requirements are weaker and easier to route around

Nigel Farage has built something Britain has never seen at scale before. A political party run like a private business. And that should concern all of us.

There are three key risks with the corporate, non-democratic approach

Reform UK is using.


** Risk 1: Money in the Shadows
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Yes, Reform UK reports donations to the Electoral Commission. But everything around those rules is harder to see:
* Money can move between its two companies before reaching regulated accounts.
* Revenue from merchandise, events or media can sit outside political rules.
* Company donations can hide beneficial ownership.
* Loans and services-in-kind face far less scrutiny.

The law was written for political parties, not corporate groups acting like political parties. Even the Electoral Commission admits the rules haven’t kept pace.

This structure doesn’t break the law. It exposes where the law is weakest.


** Risk 2: Power Without Accountability
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Inside Reform UK, members cannot meaningfully challenge or remove the leader.

Constitutional changes do not require grassroots approval. A handful of directors can shape policy, select candidates, and control governance. Internal checks simply don’t need to exist.

The way the party is structured gives us a warning about how it would operate from Downing Street. Concentrated power, no guardrails, and a deeply worrying authoritarian drift.


** Risk 3: Who Owns a Political Party?
------------------------------------------------------------

In a normal party, members collectively own the institution. Data, branding, assets and funds belong to the movement.

In a company-based party, they belong to the company. And therefore to its directors.

If Reform UK were wound up, rebranded or merged, supporters would have no rights to the data, the campaign infrastructure, the brand, the merchandise income, the assets, or even the cash in the bank account.

Everyday donors are told they’re funding a grassroots rebellion. In reality, they’re sending their hard-earned cash to a private corporate structure controlled by a small, wealthy inner circle.

The truth is, this isn’t just a personality cult built around one figure, it’s a corporate venture that puts the control and money squarely in the hands of Nigel Farage and his business partners.

Electoral law wasn’t designed for companies posing as political parties, with opaque ownership and corporate revenue streams.

The Electoral Commission can barely regulate political parties, but corporate entities like Reform UK Party Ltd tests its ability to breaking point.

Reform UK isn’t breaking the rules. It’s ruthlessly exploiting the flaws in our democracy.

This is not a left-right issue, and the other parties aren’t without their faults. But the strength of British democracy depends on political parties that are accountable, transparent, supporter driven, and democratic from the inside out.

Reform UK’s model is an experiment in removing those safeguards. If we do nothing, the precedent will spread.

If Britain wants to stop this model spreading, we need urgent action.
* Close dark-money loopholes with real “Know Your Donor” checks. Full transparency on who funds our politics.
* Shine a light on party-linked companies. If it’s part of a political operation, it should meet political transparency rules.
* Guarantee basic internal democracy in all parties. Clear constitutions, accountable leaders, real member rights.
* Use consolidated accounting for whole political groups. One organisation, one transparent set of books.
* Strengthen an independent Electoral Commission. A watchdog with the power to follow the money and enforce the rules.

This is about ensuring our democracy cannot be quietly hollowed out.

Reform UK has chosen a structure that is less democratic, less transparent and more vulnerable to outside influence than anything we’ve seen in modern British politics.

If we care about transparency, accountability and the resilience of our political system, this model cannot be ignored.

Once political parties become businesses, democracy becomes a transaction. And none of us have a right to a refund when it goes wrong.

All the best,

The Open Britain Team

P.S. If you support our work, please consider donating to help make it possible. We’re up against loud voices and wealthy vested interests. We rely on the generosity of our supporters giving what they can to fight for the change we need.
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