Reform UK has received a significant financial boost with a £36 million donation from Christopher Harborne, according to party leader Nigel Farage. This contribution, alongside a similar £36 million gift from Ben Delo, marks the largest financial contributions in British political history. Farage stated that the funds are earmarked for one primary purpose: to prepare Reform UK for the possibility of forming a government following the next general election.
Farage highlighted that these donations aim to “level a playing field” that he believes has historically favored the Conservative and Labour parties, who have also benefited from public funds known as Short Money. He expressed concerns that the current Labour government might attempt to “subvert the democratic process,” citing past instances such as an alleged attempt to cancel elections and the proposed extension of voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, which he described as a move benefiting Labour.
The decision to transfer the full sum at once, rather than in installments, was driven by fears from Harborne and Delo that the government could implement measures to cap private donations while allowing trade unions to continue funding the Labour Party. Farage likened such potential measures to those found in a dictatorship.
Reform UK plans to use the substantial funding to establish what Farage described as the “best research department British politics has ever seen” to ensure policies are well-costed and workable. The party also intends to hire experts in various fields and deploy professional organizers to target seats where the party has seen recent success, aiming to convert gains into a parliamentary majority. Farage stated that he and his shadow cabinet will undertake a nationwide tour to gather public input on how to address the country's issues.
Farage outlined a plan for a potential Reform UK government, where ministers would be given 100 days to prove their worth by implementing specific pledges, with the threat of resignation for failure. He criticized the Conservative Party's 14-year tenure, stating they made the country worse, and dismissed the prospect of Labour leader Andy Burnham being given ten years to implement his agenda, emphasizing that “time is one luxury we cannot afford.”
He assured that donors like Harborne and Delo would not receive titles or peerages in exchange for their contributions, aiming to distance Reform UK from past “cash-for-peerages” scandals. Farage characterized the donations as an “investment in democratic renewal” and urged voters to consider Reform UK as a viable alternative to the established parties, framing the upcoming election as a critical moment for the country's future. He described Reform UK as having grown to over 270,000 members and positioned it as a party with a “real sense of mission.”