Overview

• Richard Harpin, a long-time donor and founder of HomeServe, has paused his donations to the Conservative Party, ending a significant financial lifeline.
• Harpin's monthly £33,000 contributions funded the party's northern headquarters in Leeds, which is now at risk of closure due to the funding halt.
• The Conservative Party, under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, is focusing on cost management and fundraising to address its financial challenges.
• The funding crisis follows the party's general election defeat, with some donors defecting to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, further straining resources.
• Harpin has donated £3.8 million to the Conservatives since 2008, underscoring the party's historical reliance on large-scale contributions from key donors.