REFORM UK SAYS IT CANNOT CHECK ALL MEMBERS FOR FINANCIAL GIFTS

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has said the party is not aware of any further large financial gifts to Nigel Farage or other senior party figures beyond a £5 million donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Tice made the statement at the party's first press conference since the Harborne gift was revealed. He acknowledged that the party cannot check every member's bank accounts. The admission came as Tice faced questions from journalists about the extent of outside financial support for the party's leadership.

The £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne, described as a crypto billionaire, was made to Nigel Farage and had not been previously disclosed ahead of the press conference. Reform UK's deputy leader confirmed the party has no mechanism to verify the full financial arrangements of all its members. Tice's appearance at the press conference marked the party's first public engagement on the matter since the donation became known.

The disclosure raises questions about transparency within Reform UK regarding financial gifts to its senior figures. Tice's statement that the party is "not aware" of further gifts stops short of a definitive assurance, given the acknowledged limits on oversight. Reform UK has not announced any new internal measures to review or disclose financial arrangements among its membership or leadership.