Key facts
- Ben Delo loaned £350,000 to academic Nina Power.
- The loan was to fund Power's legal case against performance artist Luke Turner.
- A judge found Power and Daniel DC Miller engaged in online bullying.
- The judge described their conduct as having a "whiff of threat and antisemitism."
- Power and Miller's libel action failed because Turner's online reach was insufficient.
- Miller, who is Jewish, and Power denied promoting fascist or antisemitic views.
Reform UK's significant donor Ben Delo provided a £350,000 loan to conservative writer Nina Power to help fund her legal battle. The loan, made before a 2023 trial, came to light during Power's subsequent bankruptcy proceedings.
Power and her associate Daniel DC Miller had brought a defamation case against performance artist Luke Turner, accusing him of falsely calling them antisemitic. Simultaneously, Turner counter-sued for harassment. The judge dismissed Power and Miller's libel claim, citing Turner's limited online reach as insufficient to damage their reputations. The harassment claim also failed, with the judge ruling their conduct, while containing a "whiff of threat and antisemitism," did not cross the threshold of unlawfulness.
Despite the judge finding "no overt antisemitism" from Power and Miller, and Miller identifying as Jewish, the ruling noted their social media posts created a "whiff of threat and antisemitism." The judge contrasted their actions with harassment that was "quasi-criminal (or indeed criminal) degree."
Delo, who has contributed £36 million to Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, reportedly did not believe Power and Miller held antisemitic views. The loan was made on a commercial basis, secured against Power's London property, and was intended to cover legal fees after her conditional fee arrangement collapsed.
Power, a former leftwing academic, has since embraced conservative views. The conflict between Turner and Miller, who is of Jewish heritage, reportedly stemmed from their involvement in the London arts scene, including disputes over events featuring controversial speakers.