Reform UK official doubted whether £72m would fall under cap — The Guardian
In the United Kingdom, suspended Reform UK head of policy James Orr expressed doubts in a covert recording about whether large donations from billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo would fall under future restrictions. Each of them later donated £36m to the party, totalling £72m.
Possible cap for donors
As The Guardian reports, the recording was made by the investigative group Verbatim in July 2026. Its journalist posed as a potential donor. Orr, who at the time headed the party’s policy division, discussed possible difficulties for future donations by Harborne and Delo and spoke about replenishing the party’s coffers ahead of tougher rules.
The proposed law provides for a £100,000 cap for overseas donors. It is planned to apply to donations made after March 2026. A donor wishing to give more than £100,000 must have lived in the United Kingdom for at least one calendar year.
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The party’s position and Orr’s status
Orr suggested that Delo might meet the residence criterion if the law does not require UK tax residency. Regarding Harborne, he said the situation could be more complicated. According to the publication, Harborne lived in Thailand and registered to vote in Hampshire in the summer. Delo has lived in Hong Kong for a long time, although he has been on the UK domestic electoral register for several years.
Reform UK said it is fully confident in the legality of both donations and does not believe they will have to be returned. The party also stressed that a retrospective cap for overseas donors has not yet been adopted. Harborne’s lawyers called Orr’s comments private speculation, while Delo’s representatives declined to assess the legal implications of a law that does not yet exist.
Last month, Orr was suspended from his post after Channel 4 aired other covert Verbatim recordings. In them, according to the publication, he discussed ways to circumvent funding rules in order to accept donations from a donor in the United States. The circumstances related to these recordings are being investigated by police; Orr had previously denied violating electoral law on overseas funding.
