UK bill could affect £72m in Reform UK donations
In the United Kingdom, record donations totalling £72 million, which Reform UK received from two cryptocurrency billionaires, could fall under a bill on new rules for political donations. Communities Secretary Angela Rayner said this, The Guardian reports.
Restrictions for donors from abroad
Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo donated £36 million each to Reform UK. Both previously lived outside the United Kingdom: Harborne holds British and Thai citizenship, while Delo recently returned from Hong Kong. The publication notes that the exact time of Delo’s return and Harborne’s current place of residence are unknown.
The bill, which is due to be introduced in the House of Lords this week, provides for an annual £100,000 cap on donations from Britons living abroad, as well as those who returned to the country less than a year ago. The government said the rules would have retrospective effect: from 25 March for registered overseas voters or from 6 July for those who did not have that status.
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Government and party positions
Rayner said the government announced the retrospective application of the rules after the publication of a review of overseas donations. According to her, the legislation is not aimed at individual donors or parties, but is intended to protect democracy from foreign interference. She also said that the government had approached the independent Electoral Commission regarding additional measures.
Reform UK said that all donations comply with Electoral Commission rules and United Kingdom legislation. A party representative stressed that both donors are British citizens. Reform UK’s economic spokesperson Robert Jenrick said that Ben Delo returned to the country, including in order to comply with changes in the law, and that the party considers the funding it received lawful.
Some Labour Party MPs criticised the government for not supporting an amendment by MP Stella Creasy. She proposed introducing an annual £100,000 limit for most domestic donations. The initiative was supported by 60 MPs from different parties, but it was not put to a vote: the government said it would refer the proposal to a special working group for consideration.
