The party’s economic spokesman told the BBC that he does not expect Reform UK will need to return any of the money from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Robert Jenrick has said that £72m in donations from the two cryptocurrency billionaires were “entirely in line with the law.”, and both donors are British and have spent time living overseas.
The government wants to amend the law governing donations to UK political parties from British expatriates, including a £100,000 cap that would apply from 25 March. Both contributions were made according to the law as it currently stands, and, as far as we understand it, they also comply with the law as it’s expected to be in the future, Jenrick said.
The Donors Behind the Gifts
Two donors, Delo and Harborne, each handed over £36m to Reform within a span of two days, breaking the previous record for the largest single contribution to a UK political party. The pair had previously committed large sums of money to the party before this most recent round of funding was announced.
Last year, US President Donald Trump pardoned Delo after he pleaded guilty to a breach of anti-money laundering laws at his crypto trading platform, BitMex. Delo had admitted guilt in 2022, and the pardon followed. Harborne has been living in Thailand, while Delo said in April that he was returning to Hong Kong from there.
It has been reported that both donors have now returned to the UK, according to BBC News. Both Delo and Harborne have come back to the country, and Delo is believed to have been back since last year.
Delo has come back, according to Jenrick, who cited “in part so that he can comply with the changes to the law.”.
What the Government Proposes
This month, MPs approved a set of measures which were then added to the Representation of the People Bill. The bill now faces scrutiny in the House of Lords before it can proceed further.
The government also wants to cap how much British citizens who come back to the UK can contribute to political parties at £100,000, covering both the rest of the year they return and the next calendar year after that. The proposal applies to donations made by people who were living abroad and have now moved back to the UK.
Donors from the United Kingdom face no cap on how much they can contribute to political parties.
Rayner’s Explanation of the Law
Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg alongside Jenrick. She said the changes proposed by the government were “directly as a result” of a review by former top civil servant Philip Rycroft, external, published on 25 March.
Rayner made the remark “We said that because of the intention of the legislation and the recommendations, which we accepted, was known in the public domain that it would be retrospective to that date. That legislation is going through Parliament at the moment and we’ve also written to the Electoral Commission, which is an independent body, to see what further measures we need to take to protect our democracy.”.
When asked about the proposed changes applying to Delo and Harborne, Rayner declined to comment, saying: “I don’t know the individual circumstances of those donors.”
Jenrick’s Take on the Donors
Delo and Harborne were, according to Jenrick, “not buying anything, they simply support our agenda.”.
The BBC was also told by him: “It might be that Angela Rayner or the government keep trying to change the law to make it even harder for people to donate to Reform, nothing would surprise me. But, as it stands, we believe these are entirely in line with the law.”
The government has previously said it was “determined to tackle” the issue of “mega-donors,” and has established a new taskforce to do this. It did not support calls from some MPs for a cap but Rayner left the door open to the possibility of further restrictions.
“It’s not as simple as we’re saying we won’t put a cap [on donations], it’s a question of making sure that the task and finish group look at how we implement this,” she said.
The goal she has set for herself is to “protect our democracy in the spirit of individuals not being able to overpower and buy their way into democracy at the expense of those people that are at the ballot box.”.
The Donors’ Own Words
Harborne wrote in the Telegraph on Saturday that Reform was a “start-up party” that lacked “the benefit of hundreds of years of patronage.” Delo had written in the newspaper the day prior that he wanted to enable Reform to put up a “fair fight at the next election.”
In June, The Times reported that Harborne had registered to vote in the UK, and in April, Delo had told The Telegraph that he was moving back from Hong Kong.
What Happens Next
The bill concerning representation in the legislature remains under consideration by the Lords. A letter has been sent from the government to the body charged with overseeing elections, asking what additional steps the government should take.
The limit covers money given by people who live outside Britain and by those who return to the country. The rule began on 25 March.
The government’s position is that the law as it stands allows the donations. Rayner’s position is that the law is changing, and she would not say whether the changes will apply to these specific donors.
The party maintains that the funds were given according to the law and that there is no justification for returning them.
Key Facts Box
- £72m total donated to Reform from Delo and Harborne
- £36m each from Delo and Harborne
- £100,000 cap on donations from expats, backdated to 25 March
- Delo returned to the UK last year
- Harborne is understood to have returned to the UK
- Review by Philip Rycroft published on 25 March
- Bill approved by MPs this month, pending Lords scrutiny
An odd circumstance has arisen: a party spokesman maintains that two £36m donations are lawful, even as the government moves to render such gifts unlawful. The contributors have since come back to the UK, and the administration has communicated with the Electoral Commission regarding additional steps.
The minister’s assurance is striking. He insists that all contributions conform to current law and whatever legislation may follow. The shadow minister has refrained from stating whether the incoming regulations would apply to these givers.
The bill has not yet come before the Lords for scrutiny, so the law has not changed. The donations still stand as they were.