True scale of Reform UK’s donations from overseas donors revealed

An astonishing 80 per cent of donations to Reform UK in the past 12 months have come from donors or companies recently based overseas, The Independent can reveal.

An analysis of data from the Electoral Commission shows the amount received from donors who were based abroad in the past two years by Nigel Farage’s party dwarfs that of other parties amid growing concern about overseas influence in British politics.

In comparison, Labour and the Conservatives received just 0.15 per cent and 3.57 per cent of their donations from people or companies based abroad respectively during the same period.

While there is no suggestion of any illegal activity, Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson said the scale of Reform’s reliance on donations from wealthy overseas backers “raises further questions about the party’s financial affairs”.

It comes after Reform UK was given two record-breaking donations of £36m each last month from cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo, who was previously based in Hong Kong but moved back to the UK earlier this year, and Christopher Harborne, who was based in Thailand. These donations were not included in The Independent’s analysis as they fell outside the reporting period.

Of the 79.41 per cent of Reform UK’s donations that came from overseas in the year 2025-2026, £8m was given by Mr Delo and £15m from Mr Harborne. Companies with controlling directors who were based abroad were also included in the figure for overseas donations.

The other donations include several donations of tens of thousands of pounds from Timothy Mallott, the chief operating officer of brokerage and financial tech firm BGC Group’s EMEA division. His Companies House profile locates him in Hong Kong, while his LinkedIn puts him in Dubai.

Reform also received a donation of £100,000 from Lucas Bitencourt, a British entrepreneur, investor and founder of asset management firm Arbra Partners, whose Companies House profile locates him in Portugal, as well as £45,000 from Flow Lloyds HOLDCO Limited – a UK-registered holding company operating in the insurance sector, whose British director resides in Italy.

Ms Phillipson told The Independent: “The scale of Reform’s reliance on donations from wealthy overseas backers raises further questions about the party’s financial affairs.

“The public deserves to know exactly who is bankrolling Nigel Farage’s party, what interests these donors are seeking to advance, and whether those interests align with the priorities of the British people.

“While Farage pushes ever more extreme policies to try and distract from the sleaze and scandal engulfing Reform, this Labour government is working to strengthen our political finance laws and better protect our democracy from foreign influence.”

The government is currently looking at how to toughen residency requirements governing political donations, amid growing concern over foreign influence on British politics.

Ministers have already moved to introduce a £100,000 cap on the amount of money that can be given to political parties by British citizens based overseas, which would also apply for the first 12 months after any expats return to the UK.

The changes would be backdated to this March, raising questions about whether Reform can keep the twin £36m donations. Ministers are looking at how to toughen residency requirements governing political donations amid reports that both men have already returned to the country.

Government sources said an enhanced test would mean donors also have to demonstrate an ongoing presence in the UK, details of which will be set out shortly.

Last month, the prime minister’s official spokesperson denied that the proposed new checks were a bid to prevent Reform UK specifically from using the £72m it received, instead insisting the plans were to ensure people who contribute vast sums to political parties have a stake in the UK.

“There are multiple precedents under successive administrations, particularly to address the risk of people taking action immediately to avoid the new rules,” the spokesperson said.

Reform has also faced criticism recently following allegations that the party arranged illegal donations, a scandal which overshadowed the party’s conference in Birmingham last month and led to the resignation of Nigel Farage’s chief of staff and longtime aide Dan Jukes, as well as policy director James Orr.

Video footage obtained by Channel 4 and investigative group Verbatim as part of a sting operation appeared to show senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources.

Members of Verbatim posed as an American donor and his son, who had paid for polling allegedly commissioned by Reform and were seeking to channel money to the party.

Under electoral law, donations to a political party must be made by UK-registered voters, or a company registered in the UK. Mr Farage has insisted he and his aides “had done nothing illegal” and that no money changed hands.

Meanwhile, the party’s own investigation last week concluded that Reform did not break electoral law when senior figures discussed how to disguise foreign donations.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.