Nigel Farage has asserted that Reform UK's two significant billionaire donors are "voters in the UK" and are legally entitled to contribute any amount of money to a political party.
Questions have arisen concerning Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, who confirmed over the weekend that they were each donating a record £36 million to Reform UK. Both individuals have resided abroad for years, which would typically place them under potential restrictions regarding political donations.
While Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice declined to specify when the donors relocated to the UK, Farage stated their donations are "100 per cent compliant with the law today." He described the donors as "two very successful British entrepreneurs" who are "voters in the UK and, under the legislation, they are perfectly entitled to make these donations."
This defense comes as the Labour party plans to introduce legislation capping donations from British citizens residing abroad at £100,000 annually. Downing Street has confirmed that this cap will be backdated to March 25 of this year, requiring donors to prove UK residency for at least 12 months to avoid the limitation.
Records reviewed by the Daily Mail suggest that Ben Delo, who previously lived in Hong Kong, has been registered to vote in Oxfordshire since 2022. Christopher Harborne, who spent years in Thailand, has reportedly been registered to vote in Hampshire intermittently since 2020, though he may not have been registered in the UK during 2021 or 2024. He is reported to have changed his voter registration in June of this year.
Conservative frontbencher Baroness O'Neill indicated that it was her understanding that these donations would be subject to the overseas contributors cap. However, Farage defended the contributions, stating that any attempt by Labour to block them would be "fought by us with all the might we have."
Farage also contended that rival parties are concerned that the substantial donations could "level the playing field" in the upcoming election. He noted that Reform UK spent £5.5 million in the 2024 general election, compared to Labour's £30 million and the Conservatives' £23 million.
Downing Street confirmed that Cabinet Office minister Louise Haigh has requested the Electoral Commission to review spending limits, with Haigh suggesting the current election spending limit of £34 million is "too high."