Nigel Farage says £72m donation are compliant 'with the law today'

Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, has confirmed that two substantial donations to his party are “100% compliant with the law today,” though he could not say if they would remain permissible should a proposed rule change currently under discussion in Parliament come into effect. The government aims to impose a £100,000 annual limit on donations from British expatriates, effective retroactively from 25 March 2026.

Farage criticized the idea of retrospectively declaring such donations illegal and warned that, if elected Prime Minister, he might respond by restricting trade union donations to political parties. This, he asserted, would destabilize the existing political funding system, potentially pushing costs onto taxpayers—something he believes the public would oppose. Trade union leader Paul Nowak emphasized a clear difference between modest contributions from care workers through their unions and what he called a party “bought and paid for by billionaires.”

Over the weekend, it emerged that Reform UK had received two donations of £36 million each from wealthy businessmen Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, both British nationals who have recently lived overseas. Farage told the BBC that there was “no question” these donations, the largest in British political history, were lawful under current regulations. However, when asked if the two donors were UK residents by the key date of 25 March, Farage declined to provide details. He described the government’s move to potentially invalidate donations retroactively as unacceptable and warned of retaliatory measures that could target union funding.

The ongoing debate in the House of Lords revolves around the Representation of the People Bill, which seeks to limit the amount British expatriates can donate to political parties to £100,000 annually. The legislation also includes a stipulation that those returning to the UK must wait at least a year before exceeding this donation cap. The bill specifically requires donors to have registered as UK residents by 25 March 2026 to avoid the restrictions. It remains unclear when exactly Delo and Harborne resumed residency in the UK.

Education Minister Georgia Gould voiced concerns about large financial contributions influencing politics, especially when money comes from overseas, stating that the government wants to protect ordinary voters from such pressures. The measures in the bill follow a report by Sir Philip Rycroft on foreign interference in UK politics, published on 25 March. Although his review did not cover domestic political donations, Sir Philip noted the case for capping all contributions regardless of whether donors live inside or outside the UK. He acknowledged that retroactively banning donations would inevitably spark controversy but pointed out that announcing future limits tends to prompt a surge in donations before new rules take effect.

Farage defended the substantial donations as helping Reform UK to “catch up with the other big parties” and professionalize its operations. He contrasted this with how trade unions fund Labour to influence policy and how Conservative donors often seek honors like knighthoods or peerages. He asserted that neither Delo nor Harborne would receive such rewards or government contracts if Reform were to win the next general election. When questioned about whether the donors influenced Reform’s cryptocurrency policies, Farage said both had reviewed the party’s policy paper and found it reasonable, adding the donors would not personally benefit from the regulations proposed.

The timing of these comments coincided with the Trade Unions Congress annual conference, where TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak condemned Reform UK as “a party for sale” and branded the large donations “a crisis for democracy.” Unite union leader Sharon Graham called for stricter limits, advocating a cap between £500,000 and £1 million on individual donations from UK residents. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat expressed the importance of avoiding an American-style political funding system where money flows unchecked. Liberal Democrat and Green Party figures similarly urged swift legislative action to cap campaign donations and spending, pressing Labour to back tighter restrictions

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More