On 11 and 12 September 2026 two businessmen who made their fortunes in cryptocurrency, Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, each announced a gift of £36 million to Reform UK. News agencies reported that the two donations were tied as the largest ever made to a UK political party, and that together they were more than the £64.8 million that all parties received in the whole of 2025, according to the Electoral Commission.
The gifts came after a year in which Reform raised more in donations than Labour or the Conservatives, much of it from a few large donors. They renewed calls from the Liberal Democrats and campaign groups for a cap on donations. The government had rejected a cap of £100,000 a year from a single source when the Representation of the People Bill passed the Commons, but said officials were looking at how one could work. Reform said the money was lawful and that the donors wanted nothing in return.
Reuters’ analysis of Electoral Commission data, excluding public funds. Figures for the Liberal Democrats, Greens and other parties were not reported. The September 2026 gifts will appear in the July to September figures.
The donations are the clearest current example of the debate about money in party politics. UK law limits what parties can spend at elections but not how much one person can give, so a few wealthy donors can supply most of a party’s income. Supporters of reform see this as a risk to fair competition; others see it as lawful, transparent private funding.
They also show how funding can help a smaller party challenge the established ones. Reform had only a handful of MPs but raised more money than Labour or the Conservatives in successive quarters. Students can link this to the government’s ban on crypto donations and its cap on overseas donors, which deal with where money comes from rather than how much is given.
Reform said its donors want nothing in return and will not receive honours or government contracts. The Conservative Tom Tugendhat described the idea that office can be bought as ‘an illusion’, and spending limits still cap what a party can spend at an election.
The donations are lawful and published, which lets voters judge them. The Electoral Commission says the UK system has high levels of transparency, though parts of it need strengthening.
Instead of a general cap, ministers have banned crypto donations, capped overseas donors, set up a taskforce on large UK donors and asked for a review of spending limits. The Liberal Democrats, Transparency International UK and the Electoral Reform Society want a full cap on donations.
The figure comes from the donors’ announcements and news reports. The Electoral Commission’s figures for July to September 2026 had not been published at the last check, and the party figures for earlier quarters come from Reuters’ analysis of Commission data.
The £72 million was announced by the donors and reported by the media. It falls in the Electoral Commission’s July to September 2026 figures, which had not been published at the last check.
The largest donations in UK political history, giving students a current example for debates about party funding and donation caps.
Signed off for students.
Origin: Human-written · Reviewer: Editor
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