Overview
- Official filings released on 4 December confirm Christopher Harborne gave £9m in cash on 1 August, the largest single donation by a living UK donor, lifting Reform’s quarterly total to about £10.5m.
- Reform led party fundraising in Q3, with the Conservatives reporting just under £7m, Labour about £2.5m, and the Liberal Democrats around £2.1m, according to the Electoral Commission.
- Harborne is a British-born, Thailand-based investor with links to cryptocurrency firm Tether and business interests spanning aviation fuel through AML Global and defence via Qinetiq.
- The donation was made in cash despite Reform becoming the first UK party to accept crypto earlier this year, as reporting highlighted Nigel Farage’s recent pro‑crypto messaging without alleging wrongdoing.
- Transparency International and Spotlight on Corruption called for caps on political gifts, and the Electoral Commission signalled support for stronger party finance rules to bolster public confidence.