Reform UK's £72m Crypto Donations and the Fight Over New Donation Rules
Reform UK received £72 million in donations from cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, according to updates published on 14 September 2026. The Guardian
The total was made up of two £36 million donations announced in one weekend. BBC The second £36 million arrived within 48 hours of the first. Reuters Harborne's contribution was reported as £36 million ($49 million).
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was 'humbled' by the contributions. Robert Jenrick, identified as Reform UK Treasury spokesperson in September 2026, defended the donations. He said they are "entirely in line with the law as it is and, as far as we know, the law as it's going to be in the future." Jenrick also told the BBC he did not expect Reform UK will have to return any of the money from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Deputy leader Richard Tice accused Labour of using retrospective law 'dictatorship' tactics to block the donations.
The dispute centres on the Representation of the People Bill. The bill would make provision about political expenditure and political donations. It is a government bill intended to update electoral law to implement Labour Party manifesto commitments, and is designated as HL Bill 47 of 2026-27. House of Lords Library A second reading is the early debate on the main principles of a proposed law. Peers were scheduled to debate the second reading of the bill on the afternoon of 14 September 2026. The bill had its second reading on 2 March 2026, with remaining stages rescheduled for Wednesday 2 September 2026. House of Commons Library
The UK government was seeking to change the law on donations to UK political parties from British expats. BBC In March 2026 the government announced Britons living abroad would be limited to donating £100,000 a year, to apply retrospectively from 25 March 2026. Retrospective means the limit would reach back to that March date, even for gifts announced later. In July 2026 the government announced a timebound cap on large political donations from people who recently moved to the UK. Under the July proposal, Britons returning from abroad must have been permanently based in the UK for at least a year before they are exempt from the £100,000 donation cap.
The broader context here is enforcement and timing. For specialists in party funding, the operative questions are domicile at the point of donation, permanent basing over the prior year, and whether a retrospective £100,000 limit from 25 March can capture gifts announced in September. Jenrick's formulation separates current permissibility from future permissibility. Tice's language rejects retrospectivity as such. The Lords debate will test whether the cap structure survives scrutiny, and whether returnee provisions create a workable exemption or a prolonged eligibility dispute. The sums involved give both sides incentive to litigate the interpretation.
