Reform UK would gladly accept more donations from billionaire – Nigel Farage

Sam Russell, Press Association

Nigel Farage said Reform UK would “gladly” accept further donations from billionaire backer Christopher Harborne, who has registered to vote in the UK.

The British-Thai crypto businessman gave £5 million to Mr Farage in the run up to the 2024 general election, before he announced he would stand as an MP in the poll.

Mr Farage is currently being investigated by Parliament’s standards commissioner over the gift, which critics say he should have declared.

Mr Harborne has donated more than £25 million to Reform UK, the political party which Mr Farage leads.

The entrepreneur has registered to vote in Britain, The Times reported on Monday, and Mr Farage said he was “pleased” Mr Harborne had done so.

Asked if Reform UK would accept further donations from Mr Harborne if they were offered, Mr Farage said: “Gladly. Of course.”

He continued: “Of course we would and we’re very pleased he (Mr Harborne) has re-registered back in the UK.”

Mr Farage was speaking ahead of a rally at the Holiday Inn Norwich North on Monday evening in support of Reform’s candidate in the Norfolk police and crime commissioner election.

The election for the role was triggered when the incumbent stood down with immediate effect earlier this month.

The Government announced last year that the role of police and crime commissioner will be scrapped in 2028 when the next nationwide elections are set to be held to save at least £100 million.

Reform’s candidate in the Norfolk poll is former Met Police detective Colin Sutton, who led the investigation that brought serial killer Levi Bellfield to justice.

Asked about the party’s prospects in the Norfolk contest, following Reform’s second place to Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election, Mr Farage said he was confident Mr Sutton would win.

“Makerfield we got 16,000 votes and hoped for a few more but we were never going to win that by-election looking back on it, because there was a tidal wave of support for getting rid of Keir Starmer,” said Mr Farage.

“Ironically we won seats in the Wigan area on May 7 saying vote Reform, get Starmer out.

“But now it was vote Burnham and get Starmer out.

“That was a pretty unusual, freakish by-election.

“Look, I think we have a candidate (Mr Sutton) who is eminently qualified to do this job and I’m confident he will win.”

Mr Farage said he had “no pitch for those who wish to vote for Restore” Britain’s candidate in the PCC poll.

Restore Britain was established by Great Yarmouth MP Mr Lowe after his fractious exit from Reform UK.

A party linked to Restore Britain, Great Yarmouth First, won nine seats in Norfolk’s local elections last month.

“I have no pitch for those who wish to vote for Restore,” said Mr Farage.

“All I would say to them is I don’t hold anything for that party.

“But I say to the voters, maybe not the activists, Colin Sutton is the most famous living detective in Britain.

“Big cases like the (Milly) Dowler case (who was murdered by Bellfield) and much else.

“And you know what, you might as well just for the moment put aside any loyalty.

“I would say this also to Labour, Conservative and Green voters.

“This man (Mr Sutton) is clearly eminently qualified for the job so vote on ability.”

Mr Sutton said that although the role of PCC is to be axed in 2028 there’s “still two years to achieve things”.

He said he wants to “refocus policing from the city and the towns to a rural area to a degree”.

Mr Sutton said he was a police officer for 30 years, roughly half of that in uniform, half as a detective.

“I ran a murder squad for the last nine years of my service and we had some spectacular successes,” he said.

“The reason we had those spectacular successes was not that I’m the greatest detective since Sherlock Holmes.

“It’s actually the fact I was able to build really effective teams who saw my vision and followed it.

“I can translate that to being PCC.”

Mr Farage was greeted with applause as he took to the stage at Monday’s rally, as music blared out of loudspeakers.

He criticised “two tier policing” during his address to the crowd, with Mr Sutton later welcomed to the stage after a campaign video of the candidate was played on large screens.

The Norfolk PCC election will take place on Thursday July 16.

The candidates are: Christopher Brown (Liberal Democrat); Mark Buckton (Restore Britain); Beth Jones (Labour Party); Marcus Pearcey (Independent); Martin Schmierer (Green Party); Colin Sutton (Reform UK) and Matthew Taylor (Conservative Party).