Reform UK has received £72 million in donations from two crypto billionaires, prompting warnings that the party's image as a grassroots movement is undermined and fueling demands for urgent caps on political donations.
The record sum includes £36 million each from a crypto tycoon based in Thailand and another recently returned from China. The donations have been described as a 'giant moneybomb' that could backfire on the party, with tactical voting expected to increase as voters react against what critics call a hard-right oligarchy.
Donors and Their Backgrounds
One donor, Ben Delo, was pardoned by Donald Trump after a money laundering conviction and gave £36 million after moving back to the UK from Hong Kong. The other, Christopher Harborne, who is based in Thailand and has said he loves Britain but not enough to live there, has increased his total support for Farage's causes to £61 million, including a separate £5 million gift to Farage personally.
Reform's total income over the past year stands at £102.5 million, compared with £14.5 million for the Conservatives, £11.7 million for Labour, and £6.4 million for the Liberal Democrats.
Calls for Reform
Labour MPs and TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak have expressed concern, while Housing Secretary Angela Rayner appeared constrained by Downing Street caution during a Sunday morning TV appearance. The article argues that the government, like its predecessors, has been too slow to protect Britain from wealthy donors buying influence.
The piece calls for capping individual donations at levels ranging from £500,000 to £50,000 or even £5,000, describing it as a national emergency priority.
The article questions what the donors want in return, noting that Reform has no social care or defence spokesperson but does have a detailed policy to boost the crypto sector. It concludes that a popular revolt against Farage and Reform is the only hope to save Britain from rule by wealthy puppeteers.
