UK Government Targets Reform UK £72 Million Windfall With Backdated Election Laws
The UK government has proposed backdating election laws to target Reform UK's record-shattering £72 million in political donations. The move, spearheaded by Housing and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner, would force Nigel Farage's party to return the funds or face penalties.
The donations, made by cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, exceed the combined total of all major UK parties' donations last year. Both donors are British passport holders, but Harborne has maintained dual citizenship in Thailand while Delo recently returned from Hong Kong.
The Representation of the People Bill, currently navigating Parliament, includes provisions capping donations from overseas citizens and recent returnees at £100,000 annually with residency tests. This would retrospectively apply to March 2026, aligning with Sir Philip Rycroft's review on foreign influence and election transparency.
The move has sparked a constitutional and political row, with Reform UK accusing the Labour government of using primary legislation to bankrupt an insurgent competitor. The party claims that Labour had previously resisted uniform caps on domestic donations, which would have severely curtailed financial support from major trade unions.