Reform UK handed one other £3million from crypto billionaire as donations soar
Figures from the Electoral Commission show Nigel Farage’s party is raising millions more than their political rivals through private donations, including £3million from Christopher Harborne
Nigel Farage’s party is raising millions more than their political rivals(Image: Getty Images)
Reform UK received more than £9million in donations in the first three months of the year – including another £3million from a Thailand-based businessman.
Figures from the Electoral Commission show Nigel Farage’s party is raising millions more than their political rivals through private donations.
The largest of these was from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne, who gave Reform UK £3m in cash this January – shortly before the Government capped overseas donations at £100,000 in March.
Mr Harborne has given £15.4million to Reform since 2020. The latest figures come after a row over a separate £5million “gift” Mr Farage received from Mr Harborne in 2024, which is being probed by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog after he failed to declare it. The Reform leader said it was a personal gift for his security but later claimed it was a reward for campaigning for Brexit.
Mr Farage’s party was also given £4m from the cryptocurrency entrepreneur Ben Delo, who is relocating to the UK from Hong Kong. A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business, he has described Reform UK as “serious people are looking honestly at what it might take to fix Britain”. Mr Delo was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, and explained he’d previously “accepted a plea bargain and a civil fine for a regulatory failing that isn’t even a crime in the UK”.
Reform’s donations far outstripped Labour and the Tories, with Keir Starmer’s party raising £4 million and the Conservatives recording donations of £4.2 million in the same period. The Green Party received just £263,884 of donations, while the Liberal Democrats were handed £3,019,235.
This newspaper previously revealed of the £18.6million donated to Reform last year, some £15m came from those with offshore links. That is almost 80 per cent of the cash given to the party.
Responding, a Labour Party Spokesperson said: “At least Farage has registered this latest donation from his Thai crypto billionaire backer Christopher Harborne. Now it’s time he came clean as to what he spent his secret £5million gift on, why he didn’t declare it, and if he’s kept any other gifts hidden from the public. The British people deserve to know who is funding Reform UK and why – Farage can’t keep dodging basic scrutiny, particularly when it’s such an eye-watering sum of money.
“Labour is strengthening the rules on political donations to clean up our democracy. We’re bringing in the biggest overhaul of political finance laws in a generation to prevent foreign influence in our politics and to make sure the public can have confidence in who’s funding political parties. We’re proud that the Labour Party is powered by our members, affiliate supporters and generous donors – rather than relying on taxpayer funds.”
Publishing the latest donation figures, Jackie Killeen, the director of regulation at the Electoral Commission, said “Political parties accepted £24.7m in donations in the first quarter of 2026. The UK political finance system has high levels of transparency, and we know that voters care about where parties get their money from. This publication is a key part of delivering this information to voters.
“However, we know there are parts of the system that need strengthening, and we have highlighted the need for changes to the law for some time. The UK government’s proposed reforms to the political finance regime in the Representation of the People Bill could strengthen donation controls and help ensure voters have confidence in the political finance system. We will continue to work with the government so that any changes are grounded in evidence and workable in practice.”
Susan Hawley, Executive Director of Spotlight on Corruption, said: “These figures expose the scale of big money flowing into British politics and raise serious questions about who is funding our political parties and what access that money may be buying.
“Time and again, we see a small number of wealthy individuals and opaque corporate structures playing an outsized role in financing our democracy. That risks undermining public trust and fuels the perception that the rich can simply buy political influence, bypassing and undermining our democracy.
“The Representation of the People Bill is a rare opportunity to strengthen transparency, close loopholes and ensure our political system works for everyone, not just for those with the deepest pockets.”
