Reform's record-breaking £72m donations impressed people and earned me respect, says Farage as he faces standards ruling on £5million gift

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR and BRENDAN CARLIN and DAN HODGES, DAILY MAIL COLUMNIST

Published: 10:42 BST, 4 October 2026 | Updated: 10:52 BST, 4 October 2026

Nigel Farage has insisted that a record £72million donation from two crypto-billionaires 'impressed people and earned him 'grudging respect'.

The influx of cash to Reform from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne - £36million each - caused a political earthquake last month and triggered calls for a major tightening of funding rules.

The party has insisted the donations are in line, both with current rules and planned restrictions on money from donors based abroad, which would also apply for the first 12 months after expats come back to Britain.

The two businessmen have been based in Hong Kong and Thailand respectively, though they are reported to have already returned to the UK.

Speaking to the Sunday Times as he flew in a helicopter away from a Reform rally in Doncaster last week, Mr Farage said he had expected far worse criticism.

'The fact that I managed to pull off a coup of that magnitude, I think people were quite impressed,' he said.

It comes as he faces a crunch ruling from the parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a separate £5million he received from Mr Harborne in the months before he was elected MP for Clacton in 20204. 

The Mail on Sunday revealed today that an inquiry into the undeclared gift from has now been completed – with sources predicting it will conclude that the Reform UK leader should have made it public. 

If so, Mr Farage could be hit with a lengthy Commons suspension and even a second by-election in a few months. 

Speaking to the Sunday Times as he flew in a helicopter away from a Reform rally in Doncaster last week, Mr Farage said he had expected far worse criticism

The influx of cash to Reform from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne (pictured) caused a political earthquake last month and triggered calls for a major tightening of funding rules

However, that would spark a fierce backlash from Reform supporters, given that Mr Farage has claimed the donation was for his personal security and that he faced 300 threats a month.

On Friday, the alleged killer of former MP and Reform spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe was charged with preparing acts of terror against Mr Farage.

The Reform leader has previously insisted that he was under 'no obligation' to declare the gift, received in early 2024 before he became an MP, as it was given to pay for personal protection 'so that I would be safe and secure for the rest of my life'.

He confirmed in April that he had received the money.

However, he was reported to the standards commissioner after both Labour and the Tories pointed out the MPs' code of conduct states that new MPs 'must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election'.

He told the Sunday Times he was interviewed by commissioner Daniel Greenberg in September.