Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne has pledged $48.7m (£36m) to Reform UK, matching a donation pledged by businessman Ben Delo 24 hours earlier. The two pledges bring the total amount promised to the party since Friday to $97m.
Harborne, 63, described the donation as a “philanthropic gift” to the country and said he was inspired to match Delo’s contribution. The donations come as police investigate whether Reform accepted illegal foreign donations.
Why the donations are under scrutiny
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed earlier in the week that it had launched a criminal investigation into whether Reform accepted illegal foreign donations. The investigation is examining the party’s finances while the new pledges have drawn political attention.
How Reform and its opponents responded
Reform leader Nigel Farage celebrated the contributions on X, saying Harborne and Delo wanted nothing in return and wanted a government that would fix Britain. He said Reform UK would deliver that government. Read the context: Nigel Farage Keeps Low Profile as Reform UK Faces Political Headwinds.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Farage and his colleagues, saying money could buy staff and advertising but not judgement or integrity. She said the Conservatives were ready to contest Reform.
What the donors say the money is for
Harborne compared Reform UK with a startup that needs a boost, arguing that it does not have the established infrastructure of financial support and recurring donations available to mainstream political parties. Delo has similarly described his donation as a way to level the political playing field.
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