Crypto Tycoons Donate £72m to Reform UK Party 2026

Cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne has donated £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from fellow billionaire Ben Delo. The twin pledges mean Reform has received a £72m cash injection in just 24 hours, intensifying calls for restrictions on funding from individual donors.

Record-Breaking Donations Spark Controversy

The donations are jointly the largest ever made to a UK political party. Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, said he was “honoured and humbled” by the payments, which come as the party faces intense scrutiny over its funding. The Metropolitan Police is conducting an inquiry into Reform’s finances, and Farage is facing a parliamentary standards investigation into a £5m gift from Harborne made before he was first elected an MP in 2024. Reform UK and Farage have denied any wrongdoing.

Political Reactions and Calls for Reform

After Harborne’s donation was announced on Saturday afternoon, Bridget Phillipson, chair of the Labour party, said that Farage couldn’t “buy his way out of the sleaze and scandal he and Reform UK are drowning in – or the multiple police investigations that are ongoing into Reform’s dodgy finances”. Rachel Millward, the deputy leader of the Green party in England and Wales, accused the prime minister, Andy Burnham, of “flip flopping” on a cap on domestic donations. Burnham, who previously appeared supportive of a cap, has faced lobbying from trade unions who fear restrictions would inhibit their ability to donate.

Comparing the Major Donations

The two donations are identical in size, but the donors have different backgrounds. The table below compares key details.

Key Takeaways

• Reform UK received £72m in a single day from two crypto billionaires.
• The donations are the largest ever to a UK political party.
• Police and parliamentary investigations into Reform’s finances are ongoing.
• Political opponents are demanding a cap on individual donations.

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