Welsh MP calls for political donation cap after Reform receives £72m in 48 hours

Mark Mansfield

A Welsh MP has called on the UK Government to introduce a cap on political donations after Reform UK received £72 million from two billionaires in the space of 48 hours.

Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick said the scale of the donations should be a “massive wake-up call” and accused Labour of failing to change rules which allow individuals to give political parties tens of millions of pounds.

Reform announced on Friday that cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo had donated £36 million to the party, the largest single political donation in UK history.

On Saturday, Thai-based businessman Christopher Harborne announced that he would match the sum with another £36 million.

Mr Harborne was already Reform’s largest donor, having given the party £9 million last August.

The two donations mean Reform has received £72 million from the businessmen in two days.

Mr Chadwick, the MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said: “£72 million from just two billionaires in 48 hours should be a massive wake-up call. Billionaires should not be able to buy British or Welsh democracy.

“This is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been calling for a cap on donations for years.

“Nigel Farage appears to be trying to get into Number 10 as if it were a stop on a Monopoly board, backed by eye-watering sums of money from a tiny handful of incredibly wealthy donors.

“But Labour cannot simply complain about the influence of big money in politics while refusing to change the rules that allow it to happen.

“They are in government. They have the power to introduce a cap on political donations and stop our politics becoming increasingly dependent on who can attract the biggest cheques from billionaire backers.”

The Liberal Democrats have been pressing for a limit on the amount an individual can donate to a political party.

Royal Commission

Earlier this month, the party proposed establishing a Royal Commission to consider a cap on political donations and review existing limits on campaign spending.

Labour, Conservative and Reform MPs voted against the proposal, while Plaid Cymru MPs backed it.

Mr Chadwick said: “Instead, when we proposed a Commission to clean up our politics, Labour MPs joined Reform and the Conservatives in voting against it.

“People should be able to look at our democracy and know that their voice matters regardless of how much money they have in the bank. Nobody should be able to buy themselves an outsized influence over British politics simply because they are incredibly wealthy.

“Labour needs to act. Introduce a cap on political donations, get big money out of our politics and make sure our democracy belongs to voters, not billionaires.”

MPs last week backed separate measures which would cap donations from overseas voters at £100,000 and suspend political funding through cryptocurrency, although the legislation has yet to complete its passage through Parliament.

Calls for a wider cap covering all political donations have so far failed to win sufficient support.

Hong Kong

Mr Delo reportedly moved back to the UK from Hong Kong ahead of making his donation. He had previously planned to give Reform £1 million a month until the next general election but instead gave the £36 million as a lump sum amid the possibility of tighter donation rules.

Mr Harborne said his decision to match the donation was partly driven by his “competitive spirit”.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said: “Whilst I have been making donations to Reform of around £1 million a month, Ben Delo told me he was going to make a record donation of £36 million.

“My competitive spirit inspired me to match it, so that is what I’ve done. And I hope others may join us.”

He described the money as a “philanthropic gift to our country” intended to help Reform prepare for government.

Scrutiny

A separate £5 million gift made by Mr Harborne to Mr Farage before the Reform leader was elected to Parliament is currently being examined by the parliamentary standards watchdog over Mr Farage’s failure to declare it in his register of interests.

The donations come after a summer in which Reform’s finances have faced increased scrutiny, including a criminal investigation into allegations that the party breached political donation rules.

Reform denies wrongdoing and has said it will co-operate fully with the investigation.

Labour has also criticised Reform over its finances, with party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson saying Mr Farage and the party had “serious questions” to answer.

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