Reform UK has raised £9 million in private donations during the first three months of the year, more than double the amounts received by Labour and the Conservative Party, according to new figures from the Electoral Commission. The surge is largely driven by donations from cryptocurrency billionaires.
Nigel Farage's party received £3 million from Christopher Harborne, a British-Thai dual citizen and cryptocurrency and aviation investor, and £4 million from Ben Delo, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur relocating from Hong Kong to the UK. Together, their donations account for a third of all private political donations in the first quarter. Another £1 million came from David Grainger, an investor in health and biotech.
The Conservatives raised around £4 million from private donations, boosted by £1.1 million from donor Mary V Doran. Labour also raised about £4 million, with major contributions from David Sainsbury, Gary Lubner, and trade unions. Reform's total private donations far outstripped both main parties.
Farage is under pressure after accepting a £5 million personal gift from Harborne, now under investigation by the standards commissioner. Farage initially said it was for security costs but later claimed it was a reward for his Brexit campaign. Meanwhile, a DeSmog investigation found GB News has paid over £1 million to Reform MPs, including £700,000 to Farage and £300,000 to Lee Anderson.
Susan Hawley of Spotlight on Corruption said the figures expose 'the scale of big money flowing into British politics' and risk undermining public trust. The Electoral Commission noted the need for stronger donation controls, and the government plans to limit overseas and cryptocurrency donations. Keir Starmer has been urged to introduce a cap on all donations.
