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yesterday

Reform UK Receives £72 Million From Two Crypto Billionaires

The twin £36m gifts give the party a major campaign boost ahead of the next general election.

BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - 2026/09/05: Nigel Farage speaks during the Reform UK conference to members of the partyThe third day of Reform UK Party national conference at National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The party's annual conference, runs from 03 to 05 September. (Photo by Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) The third day of Reform UK Party national conference at National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The party's annual conference, runs from 03 to 05 September. (Photo by Phil Lewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Ben Delo announced a £36 million lump-sum donation on Friday and Christopher Harborne disclosed a matching £36 million the following day, taking the two‑day total to £72 million and setting a record for single gifts to a UK political party.
  • Reform says it will spend the money on building election infrastructure, hiring campaign managers in target seats and expanding staffing to prepare for a possible 2029 contest.
  • The Metropolitan Police has opened a criminal inquiry into whether the party breached donation rules after undercover reporting, and Parliament’s standards watchdog is separately probing a previously undeclared £5 million gift from Harborne to Nigel Farage.
  • Both donors have high‑profile crypto links and legal histories that critics cite as a reputational risk, including Delo’s 2022 US guilty plea over anti‑money‑laundering failings and his 2025 presidential pardon.
  • The scale and speed of the donations have intensified calls in Parliament to limit overseas and crypto‑linked donations and put pressure on the Representation of the People Bill, which currently proposes a £100,000 cap on overseas gifts and a temporary suspension on crypto donations.