Nigel Farage says £72m donation are compliant 'with the law today'

Key Points:

• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage confirmed two donations of £36m each from businessmen Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne are currently legal, but he could not confirm if they would be allowed under proposed new donation caps being debated in Parliament.
• The government's Representation of the People Bill aims to cap donations from British citizens living overseas at £100,000 and requires donors to be registered in the UK by 25 March 2026 to avoid the cap.
• Trade union leader Paul Nowak criticized the large donations, contrasting them with smaller contributions from care workers, while Education Minister Georgia Gould expressed concern about the influence of big money and foreign donations in politics.
• Sir Philip Rycroft, whose report on foreign interference influenced the bill, suggested a case for capping all political donations to prevent large sums from dominating British politics, acknowledging controversy over retrospective bans.
• Farage stated the donations would help Reform UK compete with larger parties and professionalize, denying undue influence from donors on party policy, including on cryptocurrency.