Nigel Farage’s Reform given £3million by crypto investor linked to ex-Tory PM
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was given a £3million boost by crypto investor Christopher Harborne, previously donated large sums to the Brexit Party and the Conservatives under Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was given a £3million boost by crypto investor (Image: Getty Images)
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was given a £3million boost by crypto investor Christopher Harborne in November, official figures showed yesterday.
It follows his £9million donation – the biggest single donation in history – to the right-wing party in August.
Mr Harborne is an investor and aviation entrepreneur who lives in Thailand. He has previously donated large sums to the Brexit Party and the Conservatives under Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Reform landed more than £5.4million in donations during the final three months of last year, according to data published by the Electoral Commission.
The Conservatives received more than £2.4m, Labour took more than £1.9 million and the Liberal Democrats more than £1.3m over the same period.
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At the end of last year, Mr Farage insisted Mr Harborne wanted “nothing in return” for his £9m donation to Reform.
Asked at a press conference why the British businessman spends so much time in Thailand, the Reform leader said: “Because that’s where he’s been based for some of his business activities for many, many years … his natural home is here.
“His donation is nothing out of the blue. It’s nothing new. I mean, after all … he was a dedicated Brexiteer. He gave a significant amount of money to the Brexit Party at the time.”
Mr Farage continued: “Does he want anything in return for his money? I promise you absolutely nothing. Do I speak to him regularly? Maybe once a month, maybe once every six weeks, but certainly not more than that.”
Yesterday’s data release showed Reform and the Tories both accepted £200,000 from construction equipment firm JCB. Scottish Labour received £100,000 from Ecotricity, the firm founded by green energy tycoon Dale Vince, in November.
Labour also received more than £55,000 from Labour Together, the think tank previously run by former Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, in October.
The organisation recently faced pressure over claims it paid PR firm Apco Worldwide at least £30,000 to look into journalists, including from the Sunday Times, the Guardian and other outlets.
The controversy led to the resignation of ex-Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons who led the think tank during that time.
The Makerfield MP quit despite Keir Starmer ’s ethics adviser finding he had not breached the Ministerial Code
In his resignation letter to the PM, Mr Simons said: “It is clear that my remaining in office has now become a distraction from this Government’s important work. For that reason, and with sadness and regret, I offer my resignation.”
