Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben Delo

The cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne has given £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from fellow billionaire Ben Delo.

The pledges are jointly the largest donations made to a UK party and are likely to intensify calls for a cap on political donations.

Reform leader, Nigel Farage, said he was “honoured and humbled” by the donations, which come at a time when Reform is facing intense scrutiny regarding its finances.

The Metropolitan police is conducting an inquiry into Reform’s finances, and Farage is facing a parliamentary standards investigation into a £5m gift from Harborne, made before he was first elected an MP in 2024. Reform UK and Farage have denied any wrongdoing.

Farage said: “I am honoured and humbled that Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne have shown such confidence in Reform.

“Both men know that we are the only party that can turn the country around and win the next general election – thanks to their generosity, we are now able to fight that election on a level playing field.”

Harborne said: “There will be a lot of media speculation regarding this donation. So what do I expect in return for my donations? Nothing. No peerage, no policy change, just a party that is ready for government.

“I have already accumulated enough wealth for the rest of my life. I am committed to putting that to work for Britain and humanity as a whole. I want the same as everyone else in Britain: for my children and grandchildren to have the chance to live happy and productive lives here and be rewarded for their hard work.

“At the next general election people will have to vote for the party that they think will best get that done and I’m making a donation very clearly to the party that I believe will do so.”