Crypto-billionaires want ‘nothing’ in exchange for £72m donations, says Reform
Reform UK has insisted its two crypto-billionaire donors want “nothing” in exchange for their combined £72 million gifts to the party.
Neither Christopher Harborne nor Ben Delo will be given a knighthood, a peerage or a government contract if Reform comes to power, the party said, after receiving the two gifts in the space of 24 hours.
The donations, amounting to £36 million from each man, are the largest in British political history and together are equivalent to three-quarters of the money spent at the 2024 general election by all parties combined.
Thailand-based Mr Harborne, Reform’s largest donor, said his gift was “a philanthropic gift to our country” intended to help the party prepare for government.
As well as donating to the party, Mr Harborne has given £5 million to Nigel Farage personally, with the Reform leader’s failure to declare the gift leading to an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Mr Delo, who was pardoned last year by Donald Trump after a conviction for violating the US Bank Secrecy Act, said his donation was intended to create a “level playing field” for Reform with the other parties.
The party has denied that the men will receive anything in return for their donations, tweeting: “Our donors want nothing and will never be given a peerage, knighthood or a government contract.”
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage said the money would be used “for one purpose only: to make certain we are ready to form a government at the next election”.
He said Reform would fund “the best research and policy department British politics has ever seen” and recruit “the best minds in every area”.
Mr Farage has long been a supporter of the cryptocurrency industry, and his party has announced a number of crypto-friendly policies.
Last year, Reform said it would slash taxes on crypto assets and set up a “Bitcoin reserve”, while the party also accepts donations in cryptocurrency.
Mr Harborne and Mr Delo’s gifts have also reignited calls for a cap on political donations.
Labour MP Stella Creasy said the donations showed a cap “cannot come too soon to protect British democracy”.
Ms Creasy is one of several backbenchers to have proposed an amendment to the Government’s Representation of the People Bill that would have prevented donors giving parties more than £100,000 in a single year.
Her amendment was not debated in the Commons after the Government said it would set up a taskforce to tackle the issue of “mega-donors”.
The Bill is set to be debated in the House of Lords on Monday, with Ms Creasy saying it provided an opportunity to “stop these people from distorting the next election”.
Duncan Hames, of Transparency International UK, said the donations made “an irrefutable case” for a cap, while campaign group Spotlight on Corruption said the donations could have a “huge and damaging impact” on UK politics.
MPs last week backed measures including a cap on overseas donations at £100,000 and a suspension of funding through cryptocurrency, but the draft legislation still needs to be passed by the House of Lords to become law.
The twin donations offer Mr Farage’s party a boost after a difficult summer that included the launch of a criminal investigation into allegations it breached rules on political donations.
Reform UK denies any wrongdoing and has said it will co-operate fully with the probe.
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Nice try Farage has pledged to offer up the Bank of England to them Not only two relax the rules in crypto trading but to hold a Bitcoin Reserve Reform swapping the UK gold reserve for a specualtive volatile currency which these donors stand to make a fortune out of No wonder Farage has taken an equity slice in a crypto company . Meanwhile the Britannia Card an all you can eat tax free buffet for just £250k That £72m donation is just a drop in the ocean to the benefits Reform will gift them Meanwhile the mug taxpayer will… Read more »
Then they should donate it to the RNLI.
Liar liar pants on fire. Farage likes other peoples money, doesn’t care how he gets it or what he has to do to earn it, that means doing what the donors say. Reform is bought and paid for.
The mugs that vote reform are just the useful idiots for the billionaires.
Presumably it’s all a cheap stunt and they’re offering this money knowing it’ll be retrospectively blocked with cross-party support, allowing Reform to “prove” the establishment is out to get them.
They aren’t after knighthoods, peerages or government contracts. They just want the extreme right wing in power, protecting their interests
Yeah but farage will give them all that as well.
These billionaires are not giving money away for nothing. They, obviously, hope to profit in the future. In this case it’s the tax breaks and other perks Reform are offering if they get into power. Will these billionaires work to make the UK a better place for everyone ? Of course not. No matter what they say, Reform are not the party of the people but the party of the big businesses and billionaires that put profit and shareholders before all else.
So, two crypto billionaires give £36 million each—and they expect nothing in return? Likely story. Would you trust a convicted felon, Ben Delo, a man who was convicted for money laundering in America and later pardoned by fellow crook Donald Trump? In making that statement, both Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne were openly lying because they do want something in return for their money. They want a Reform UK government led by Nigel Farage. Anyone with a functioning brain cell would know that you do not receive something for nothing. They want influence over the government for their money. And… Read more »
Only the immortal soul of our increasingly fragile democracy, a relatively trifling price to pay. These scoundrels have the temerity to declare themselves patriots!
And if you believe this utter nonsense then I’ve another London bridge to sell you, Jenrick obviously trying to sell this to those of lower base intelligence who walk amongst us.
I just saw a pink little piggy with silver wings just fly past my window in its way to work for the crypto bank at the edge of Atlantis on Barry island.
If there’s Anyone who believes this clown, I have a rather nice bridge for sale.