Amendment to bill in Lords could test legality of £72m Reform donations
Summary
The UK government plans to change political donation rules to include stricter residency requirements for donors, which may affect a £72 million donation to Nigel Farage’s Reform party by two billionaires who recently moved back to the UK. The changes aim to ensure donors have a genuine, ongoing connection to the UK, potentially delaying or blocking large donations from those who have not lived in the country long enough.Key Facts
- The UK government will introduce amendments to political donation laws in the House of Lords to strengthen residency rules for donors.
- Nigel Farage’s Reform party received pledges of £72 million from two cryptocurrency billionaires, Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.
- Both billionaires had lived overseas but have recently returned to the UK to meet current donation rules.
- New rules may require donors to prove residency in the UK for a longer period, possibly delaying Reform’s ability to accept the donations until 2028.
- The current law limits donations from expatriates to £100,000 and includes a 12-month rule after returning to the UK.
- Labour party officials criticized the size and source of these donations compared to traditional union funding for Labour.
- The government claims the residency changes were planned before these donations were announced.
- Reform says their donations comply with current laws as they stand today.
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