Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, defended recent £72 million donations to his party from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, stating that these contributions comply with current laws despite potential changes. However, he acknowledged that under upcoming amendments to the Representation of the People Bill, which would restrict overseas donor contributions to £100,000 annually, the large gifts might be deemed non-compliant. Farage's stance contrasts with earlier statements from Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who argued that these donations adhere both to existing and proposed regulations and will not influence policy decisions.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-14,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, received two record-breaking donations of £36 million each from cryptocurrency investors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne in as little as 48 hours, totaling £72 million. This makes it the largest political donation in British history. The donations are aimed at professionalizing Reform UK to compete with established parties like Labour and Conservatives ahead of the next general election.
Farage insists that these donations comply with current laws but questions if they would remain legal under proposed changes being debated in Parliament, which could impose a £100,000 annual cap on donations from British expats. These new regulations might be backdated to March 25, potentially affecting the legality of past and future large-scale donations.
Critics argue that such massive funding distorts democratic processes and calls for caps on individual political donations. Labour MP Angela Rayner hinted at introducing a donation cap due to concerns about loopholes allowing wealthy individuals to exert undue influence over politics. There is also growing speculation around the establishment of an 'attack unit' within Reform UK, aimed at targeting rival parties.
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over the role and regulation of big money in British politics, with potential implications for political funding rules moving forward. Philip Rycroft, a former civil servant, proposed measures to limit foreign influence, which could indirectly affect donations from those who have recently returned to Britain from abroad, like Delo and Harborne. This situation underscores the need for clearer guidelines on political financing and accountability in modern British politics.
Written for “Reform Uk Donations Controversy” on 2026-09-14,
grounded in this article and the 10 other(s) covering the same event.
However, the Reform UK leader hit out against the move to retrospectively apply a new law to the twin £36 million gifts from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, which were announced on Saturday.
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which → hit → Saturday
Reform has insisted the donations are in line both with current rules and planned restrictions on money from donors based overseas, which are set to be considered in the Lords on Monday.
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which → insist → Monday
Those changes restrict donations from expats to £100,000 which would also apply for the first 12 months after they return to the UK – changes which would be backdated to March 25 this year.
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which → restrict → March
Mr Delo has been based in Hong Kong but said in April he would return to the UK to avoid restrictions on overseas donors, and Mr Harborne was based in Thailand but in June he was reported to have registered to vote in Hampshire.
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he → base → Hampshire
Mr Farage told the BBC on Monday he believed the two donations were “compliant” with the law as it stands, but suggested they would not be acceptable as a result of a law change in the Representation of the People Bill, due to be debated by peers.
“Both these donations are 100% compliant with the law today, of that there is no question whatsoever,” the Reform UK leader told the BBC.
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leader → tell → BBC
He was then asked whether Mr Delo and Mr Harborne were UK residents as of March 25, as this would have an impact on their donations.
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this → ask → donations
Mr Farage replied: “I’m not going to go into their particular details.
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I → reply → details
All I’m going to say is, with the law of the land as it stands, they are both compliant.
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they → go → land
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice earlier told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme both donors had “complied with the rules and regulations, both existing and proposed and will continue to do so”, a position which appeared different from that set out by Mr Farage.
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which → tell → Farage
Mr Tice said the donations would help to “level the playing field” of donations received by other political parties, and claimed Mr Delo and Mr Harborne would have “absolutely zero” influence on Reform’s policy platform.
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Delo → say → platform
He compared the situation to Labour’s funding from trade unions who “make demands about employment rights regulations, public sector pay and they get those demands satisfied”.
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demands → compare → regulations
Proposals for a cap on all donations are likely to feature heavily in the House of Lords, which will debate the Government’s Representation of the People Bill on Monday.
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which → feature → Monday
The Bill already contains the measures limiting donations from overseas electors to £100,000 a year, but attempts by MPs to impose a general cap failed after the Government promised to task officials with investigating how a measure would work.
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measure → contain → officials
On Sunday, Communities Secretary Angela Rayner suggested a cap was still on the table, telling the BBC she wanted to stop people “being able to overpower and buy their way into democracy”.
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people → suggest → democracy
Ms Rayner on Monday told the TUC congress that Reform was not on the side of working people.
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Reform → tell → people
“They voted against the Employment Rights Act and, if elected, they’d repeal it in a heartbeat, along with the Equalities Act,” she said.
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she → vote → Act
She later added: “This is about people’s lives, our members’ lives, and if you needed proof of whose side they’re really on, they have given it to us this weekend.
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they → add → us
“Nigel Farage’s sugar daddies made their money in crypto, but there’s nothing cryptic about their motives.
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daddies → make → motives
They know full well that a Reform government will act in their interest, not the public interest.”
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government → know → interest
The Liberal Democrats are likely to push for a cap, having called for “emergency legislation” to impose one and saying the donations exposed “a dangerous flaw in our democratic system”.
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donations → push → system
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, has suggested donations from trade unions should be exempt from any cap, saying they were “not the same as two crypto millionaires waking up and giving £72 million”.
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millionaires → suggest → million
Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, similarly told TUC congress there was no similarity “between care workers chipping in a few quid a year through their union and a party bought and paid for by billionaires”.
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workers → tell → billionaires
