REFORM UK RECEIVES £72M FROM CRYPTO BILLIONAIRES DELO AND HARBORNE

Reform UK has received donations totalling £72m from billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, both of whom made their wealth in cryptocurrency. The party received two payments of £36m each from the donors. According to one report, Reform UK states that the donations come with no expectation of return or influence. The sum exceeds the combined spending of every major party at the 2024 general election.

Reform UK argues that the funding "levels the playing field" with larger parties, noting that Labour spent more than five times what Reform spent during the 2024 election campaign. The donations provide sufficient resources to fund new staff in every UK constituency until the next election, though parties typically concentrate resources on a smaller number of target seats. Delo recently returned to the UK from Hong Kong, whilst Harborne is based in Thailand but is registered to vote in the UK. Both donors' business interests in cryptocurrency align with Reform UK's stated policy positions on liberalising crypto regulations in the UK, though the party maintains this was its stance before attracting such funding.

The donations create political risks for Reform UK. Opposition figures are likely to argue that the party's claim to represent ordinary Britons is undermined by its reliance on funding from overseas-based billionaires. The donations also renew scrutiny of party leader Nigel Farage's personal finances and the party's wider financial practices. An election is not expected for nearly three years, though Reform UK has suggested one could occur sooner if Manchester mayor Andy Burnham seeks an electoral mandate.