The Telegraph and Reform UK are facing claims of undermining public interest journalism and eroding trust between reporters and politicians, after Nigel Farage’s party gave the newspaper stories first uncovered by other outlets. It is understood there is unease among editorial staff at the Telegraph about Reform’s repeated use of the outlet for “spoilers”: a media tactic designed to pre-empt a problematic story by placing it with a title seen as more sympathetic. The concern comes after the Telegraph published details of two unprecedented £36m donations to Reform from the crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.
It did so shortly after Farage and a party spokesperson had been approached for comment about the donations by the Sunday Times. In April, the Guardian revealed that Farage had received a £5m gift from Harborne. When the Guardian went to Reform for comment, the party asked for more time to respond – and used the time to brief the Telegraph, which ran fawning interviews with Farage and Harborne.
On another occasion, details of donations and loans to Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, and his company, put to the party by the Guardian, then appeared in a Telegraph story. A Telegraph journalist said there was “significant unease” about the tactic in the newsroom, with concern that Reform figures had repeatedly undermined journalism with the spoiler tactic. Other insiders said the criticism was unfair in relation to the latest incident, stating the Telegraph team was not aware that Reform had been approached about the donations by another publication.
However, there had been a previous history of Reform using the tactic. The stories were written by Gordon Rayner, the Telegraph’s associate editor, who has previously served as its political editor and chief reporter. Decisions over publication are ultimately taken by senior editors.
The incident has reignited a debate over the Telegraph’s links to Reform. The title has traditionally been closely associated with the Conservative party. Some at the title disapproved of a piece about a journalist travelling to Britain on a small boat.
It later emerged the journalist in question was a Reform member and activist. The paper also features columns by Isabel Oakeshott, Tice’s partner and an open supporter of many Reform UK policies. However, Reform’s approach to the Telegraph is inconsistent.
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