Nigel Farage announced two extraordinary donations of £36 million each from cryptocurrency businessmen Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne this past weekend, bringing combined contributions to £72 million. These represent the largest single donations ever made to a political party in British history, exceeding the total spending by the seven largest parties in the previous general election and nearly doubling total donations to all political parties received so far this year.
Delo was convicted in the United States in 2022 for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls at his cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX before receiving a pardon from Donald Trump last year. Harborne’s previous £5 million donation to Farage is currently subject to a parliamentary standards investigation. The Telegraph published opinion pieces from both donors announcing their contributions. Legal experts note there is nothing demonstrably unlawful about the donations under current law, though the Metropolitan Police is conducting an inquiry into Reform’s finances and Farage faces parliamentary scrutiny regarding the earlier Harborne gift.
Parliament is currently considering the Representation of the People Bill, which would implement stricter regulations on political donations. The legislation would cap gifts from British citizens living abroad or those who returned to the country within the past 12 months at £100,000 annually, with rules applied retroactively to March. Delo recently relocated to Britain from Hong Kong, while Harborne holds both British and Thai citizenship.
Reform has significantly expanded its organizational infrastructure since the general election, relocating to new offices in London’s Millbank Tower and hiring additional staff including press officers, graphic designers, and regional organizers. The substantial influx of funds is expected to support further staffing expansion and potentially facilitate policy development to strengthen the party’s presentation as a viable governing alternative.
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