Reform UK, a political party headed by Nigel Farage, has received a staggering $12,015,900 from aviation entrepreneur and cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne. The donation, revealed in the latest figures from the Electoral Commission, reportedly saw the party temporarily outstrip both the governing Labour and Conservatives in quarterly donations, showcasing the party’s growing financial momentum ahead of next May’s local elections.
The donation by Harborne, a British citizen living in Thailand, was made on Aug. 1 and eclipsed the previous record for a living individual—a $10,680,800 gift from supermarket tycoon Lord David Sainsbury to the Liberal Democrats in 2019.
Harborne, whose businesses include private aircraft firms AML Global and Sherriff Group, is known for his significant investments in cryptocurrencies. The donation arrives as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has explicitly championed digital assets, positioning the party as a pro-innovation, 21st-century alternative to traditional Westminster politics. Farage has been vocal about his support for cryptocurrency, stating in May that Reform UK would be the first UK party to accept donations in bitcoin.
His views on the sector are strongly deregulatory and focused on “individual sovereignty,” viewing bitcoin as the “ultimate freedom from big government.” Farage has pledged to “bring crypto in from the cold,” promising a “crypto revolution” should Reform enter government.
This pro-crypto agenda includes a proposed ‘Crypto Assets and Digital Finance Bill‘ aimed at making the UK a global hub for the industry, potentially including the creation of a UK bitcoin reserve and reductions in capital gains tax on digital assets. He has also called for an immediate halt to work on a potential UK central bank digital currency (CBDC), describing it as a step towards “total state control.”
Read more: British Politician Nigel Farage Says Bitcoin Is the Ultimate Anti-Lockdown Investment
Although the record-breaking gift from Harborne was not made in cryptocurrency, his background in the space is seen as aligning with Farage’s vision of embracing new technologies. Harborne is a former donor to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson and previously provided large sums to Reform’s predecessor, the Brexit Party.
Despite the donor’s substantial financial support, Farage insisted there was no quid pro quo. “I’ve not promised him a single thing in return for his donation,” Farage said, adding that the businessman “just happens to think that we’ve not made the most of Brexit, that we’re not getting into the 21st Century technologies.”
According to a BBC report citing the Electoral Commission’s figures for July to September, Farage’s party received over $13,618,020 in total donations. This was significantly higher than the Conservatives, who received $6,141,460, Labour on $2,803,710 and the Liberal Democrats on $1,335,100.
Excluding the Harborne sum, the largest single donation during the period was $1,335,100 to the Conservatives from tech entrepreneur Jeremy Elliott San. A Reform spokesman celebrated the results, stating the figures “show the incredible progress” and “further evidence that we have all the momentum in British politics.”
However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the figure as a “one-off” and highlighted that the Tories have received a higher overall total—$19,225,440 compared to Reform’s $18,023,850—since July of last year. The donation, meanwhile, has reignited the debate over political funding, with Liberal Democrat spokesperson Lisa Smart arguing that elections “are not being fought on an even footing if they can be bought by a small handful of individuals.”
- Who donated to Reform UK? Aviation and crypto investor Christopher Harborne gave $12M to the party.
- How does this compare to other parties? Reform briefly outpaced Labour and Conservatives in quarterly donations.
- What is Nigel Farage’s crypto stance? He champions bitcoin, pledging a “crypto revolution” and opposing a UK CBDC.
- What’s the wider impact? The record gift fuels Reform’s momentum ahead of next May’s UK local elections.
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