Reform UK has received a historic £9 million donation from cryptocurrency investor and aviation entrepreneur Christopher Harborne, marking the largest single contribution ever made by a living individual to a British political party. The donation, disclosed in new filings from the Electoral Commission, arrives months before local elections in May and amid Reform’s continued strength in national polls.
Christopher Harborne, a British national residing in Thailand, has long been a significant political donor. He previously supported the Conservatives under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and contributed heavily to the Brexit Party in 2019 and 2020. His latest £9m donation surpasses the previous record of £8m given to the Liberal Democrats by Lord David Sainsbury in 2019. A related record includes £10m left to the Conservatives in 2022 by Lord John Sainsbury through his will.
Harborne’s business interests include AML Global and Sherriff Group, both linked to private aircraft and aviation. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, an outspoken supporter of cryptocurrency, announced earlier this year that the party would become the first in the UK to accept Bitcoin donations—part of a strategy to appeal to digital-asset investors and younger voters.
Reform Outpaces Major Parties in Quarterly Donations
According to Electoral Commission data, Reform UK received more than £10.2m in donations between July and September, outperforming the Conservatives, who reported £4.6m in the same period. Labour received £2.1m, while the Liberal Democrats declared £1m.
Harborne’s contribution formed the bulk of Reform’s fundraising, while the next largest donation overall—£1m from games programmer and tech entrepreneur Jeremy Elliott San—went to the Conservatives. Labour’s biggest donor was the Unite union with £362,625, and the Liberal Democrats’ top donation of £50,000 came from business owner Neale Powell-Cook.
This quarter marks the first time since the 2024 general election that Reform UK has raised more than the Conservatives, reflecting a shift in donor confidence as the party consistently leads nationwide polls.
Conservative Response and Party Funding Debate
Despite Reform’s strong quarter, the Conservatives remain ahead in total donations since July 2024, raising around £14.4m compared with Reform’s £13.5m. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the £9m contribution as a “one-off”, stressing that her party has maintained a broader base of donors and achieved its best fundraising quarter since she took over.
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lisa Smart criticised the scale of recent donations, warning that UK elections risk being distorted when funding relies heavily on a small group of wealthy individuals.
Political parties must report all donations exceeding £11,180 to the Electoral Commission, and opposition parties also receive public funds based on their parliamentary presence. Between July and September, Reform received £227,835 in public allocations, far below the Conservatives’ £2.3m and the Liberal Democrats’ £1m.
Reform UK’s Rising Momentum
Reform UK has been leading national opinion polls regularly since spring, capitalising on voter dissatisfaction with the major parties and Nigel Farage’s return to frontline politics. The party’s messaging on immigration, tax reform, and political “realignment” has resonated with a growing segment of the electorate, driving higher fundraising and donor interest.
Party officials said the latest figures demonstrate “incredible progress” and further evidence of “momentum in British politics” as the party prepares for a significant test in the upcoming local elections.
