8legs: Electoral commission

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#1 out of 3

Reform UK secured £7 million in the first quarter of 2026 from two crypto billionaires, amplifying its fundraising position.
Christopher Harborne donated £3 million to Reform UK, the largest single gift to the party this quarter.
Ben Delo contributed £4 million to Reform UK in two instalments of £2 million each.
Overall donations to UK parties in Q1 2026 totalled about £24.7 million, up 214% from the prior year.
Donations to the Conservatives and Labour during the quarter were £6m and £4.1m respectively, far below Reform UK's total.
Harborne previously made a £9 million donation to Reform last year, becoming the record holder for the largest individual gift.
These donations come as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed banning cryptocurrency donations to parties.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage remains a visible advocate for cryptocurrency in UK politics.
The Electoral Commission included Harborne’s latest donation in their quarterly rundown of major party gifts.
The quarter saw a rise in crypto-linked political fundraising and scrutiny surrounding donor declarations.

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#2 out of 3

Reform UK received £7 million from overseas crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, boosting its fundraising lead.
Delo donated £4 million and Harborne £3 million to Reform UK in early 2024 filings, with donations not made in crypto.
The donations contributed to Reform UK's £9.3 million in private donations for the period, part of £20.7 million total declared by all parties.
A £100,000 annual cap on overseas donations by British citizens abroad was announced, to apply retrospectively from March 25.
Labour and Conservative fundraising in the period were about £4 million each in private donations, with Reform outpacing them in private funding.
Reform leader Nigel Farage faces a parliamentary standards probe over a £5 million cash gift and its declaration.
Harborne has previously claimed he was the reason the cap was introduced and has not ruled out returning to the UK to preserve influence.
The Electoral Commission filings show Reform also reported £1.1 million in donations from biotech entrepreneur David Grainger.
Overall, Reform declared large donations ahead of May elections, outpacing its rivals in private fundraising.
The reported donations arrive as ministers push for tighter controls on foreign and overseas donations.

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#3 out of 3

Reform UK received £7 million from overseas crypto donors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne in early 2025.
Donations came before the government's £100,000 cap on overseas donations, now being applied retrospectively.
Electoral Commission filings show £2 million from Delo on 14 January and £2 million on 2 March, plus £3 million from Harborne on 23 January.
Reform led other parties in private donations during the period, with Labour and Conservatives each reporting about £4 million.
Delo, co-founder of BitMEX, is a first-time donor to Reform, while Harborne has previously donated large sums and resides in Thailand.
The cap on overseas donations faces political backlash as Reform and donors resist the limit's retrospective application.
The article places Reform's fundraising lead in the context of broader party funding and public funding allocations.
Delo indicated plans to return to the UK to continue contributing to Reform's budget.
Harborne, who reportedly donated £12 million to Reform in 2025, has a history of large contributions and is discussed in relation to the cap.

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