Key Takeaways
- Reform UK has received a record £9m donation from Christopher Harborne, the largest ever single donation by a living person to a British political party.
- The donation breaks the previous record of £8m from Lord David Sainsbury to the Liberal Democrats in 2019.
- Reform UK has been consistently leading in national opinion polls since the spring and received a total of £10.2m in donations between July and September.
- The party’s leader, Nigel Farage, has been a supporter of cryptocurrency and announced that Reform UK would be the first party in the UK to accept donations in Bitcoin.
- The donation comes ahead of local elections next May and has sparked concerns about the influence of wealthy donors on British politics.
Introduction to the Donation
Reform UK has received a record-breaking donation of £9m from Christopher Harborne, a British cryptocurrency investor and aviation entrepreneur. This donation is the largest ever single donation by a living person to a British political party, surpassing the previous record of £8m from Lord David Sainsbury to the Liberal Democrats in 2019. Harborne, who lives in Thailand, has previously donated large sums to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson’s leadership, as well as Reform’s predecessor, the Brexit Party, in 2019 and 2020.
Donation Context and Implications
The donation comes at a significant time, with the next general election not due until 2029, but local elections scheduled for next May. Reform UK has been consistently leading in national opinion polls since the spring, and this donation is likely to provide a significant boost to the party’s campaign efforts. Harborne’s businesses, AML Global and Sherriff Group, are linked to private aircraft and aviation, and his support for Reform UK is likely to be seen as a significant endorsement of the party’s policies. The donation also highlights the growing influence of cryptocurrency in British politics, with Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, announcing in May that the party would be the first in the UK to accept donations in Bitcoin.
Electoral Commission Figures and Party Donations
According to the Electoral Commission’s latest figures, Reform UK received donations totaling more than £10.2m between July and September, surpassing the Conservatives, who received £4.6m in donations, followed by Labour on £2.1m and the Liberal Democrats on £1m. The next biggest donation during the three-month period was £1m given by games programmer and tech entrepreneur Jeremy Elliott San to the Conservatives. Labour’s biggest donor was the Unite union with £362,625, while the Liberal Democrats received its largest sum – £50,000 – from Neale Powell-Cook, who owns a food supply company. This is the first quarter since last year’s general election that Reform has received more in donations than the Conservatives.
Party Responses and Concerns
A Reform spokesman said the figures "show the incredible progress" the party is making, and that the donation is "further evidence that we have all the momentum in British politics." However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch downplayed the significance of the donation, saying that the Tories had been "out-raising" other parties throughout this year, and that Mr. Harborne’s donation to Reform was a "one-off." Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lisa Smart expressed concerns about the influence of wealthy donors on British politics, saying that "our elections are not being fought on an even footing if they can be bought by a small handful of individuals."
Public Funding and Election Finance
Political parties are required to report all donations above £11,180 to the Electoral Commission, and opposition parties also receive public funds to support their parliamentary duties, with allocations based on their performance at the previous election. Between July and September, Reform received £227,835 in public funds, far less than the £2.3m received by the Conservatives and the £1m for the Liberal Democrats. This highlights the ongoing debate about election finance and the role of public funding in supporting political parties. The record-breaking donation to Reform UK is likely to spark further discussions about the need for greater transparency and regulation of political donations in the UK.
