Key facts
- Reform has raised £30.5 million since the start of the year.
- The party received an additional £72 million in donations.
- Reform plans to use the funds to hire policy minds and campaign managers.
- Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo made the large cryptocurrency donations.
- Liberal Democrats and Greens are calling for a cap on donations from individuals based in Britain.
The UK political party Reform has secured substantial funding, receiving £72 million in donations, which significantly bolsters its financial resources. This influx of cash comes after the party had already raised £30.5 million since the beginning of the year, more than double its closest rivals. The party intends to utilize these funds for hiring policy experts and establishing campaign teams in all target constituencies.
This substantial financial injection has intensified discussions around political donation regulations. While some in Westminster question Prime Minister Andy Burnham's stance on not calling an early general election, a Number 10 source indicated that Reform's increased funding does not make an early election more probable. Burnham is expected to face growing pressure to reform the rules governing party donations, particularly concerning large contributions from individuals like cryptocurrency billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo. The Liberal Democrats and Greens have also advocated for caps on donations from individuals based in Britain.
Burnham has expressed openness to discussing potential changes to donation rules, though he did not support an earlier effort by some Labour MPs to tighten regulations. Angela Rayner confirmed that ministers are still considering these changes, and the Electoral Commission is also reviewing the matter. Despite these developments, government sources maintain that the recent donations are not viewed as a pivotal moment in the debate over political funding.