The staggering donations have smashed records as the largest in British political history, with details now emerging about how the huge sums could be used.
The donations will be put to campaign managers and policy experts (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage has promised to turn Reform UK into a party fit for government following a record £72 million donation to the party. Billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo have made the largest donation in British political history.
The Reform leader said the funds would be used to hire “the best minds in every area”, as speculation mounts over the possibility of an early general election.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Farage said that, with the two £36 million donations, the party would appoint campaign managers in a bid to target key constituencies and compete for the best policy experts. Sources also expect him to establish an “attack unit” to target opponents.
Mr Farage said: “The money will be used for one purpose only: to make certain we are ready to form a government at the next election.
“Now the British people have a genuine alternative: a properly funded, professionally organised and determined party that will put this country’s interests first once more. This money is an investment in democratic renewal, pure and simple.”
According to Mr Farage, the billionaires donated the funds to circumvent Labour’s attempt to cap political donations, as well as to fast-track his attempts to build a party machine to rival the Conservatives and Labour.
Reform announced the donation from Mr Delo, co-founder of a digital currency trading platform, on Friday evening. The party then announced on Saturday that the £36 million had been matched by Mr Harbone, a tech investor based in Thailand. He registered as a UK resident for voting and donating purposes.
The donations broke records, with the previous biggest single donation to a political party being a £10 million bequest left to the Tories. The biggest donation from a living person was the £9 million Mr Harbone donated to Reform last year.
This year, Reform UK has raised nearly £90 million, compared with just over £10 million and £8 million raised by its counterparts, the Conservatives and Labour, respectively.
Mr Harbone said he was aware of possible “media speculation regarding this donation” and expected “nothing” in return for the donation.
Reform UK have raised over £90 million this year (Image: Getty)
He added: “I am committed to putting that to work for Britain and humanity as a whole. I want the same as everyone else in Britain: for my children and grandchildren to have the chance to live happy and productive lives here and be rewarded for their hard work.
“At the next general election, people will have to vote for the party they think will best get that done and I’m making a donation… to the party I believe will do so.”
Bridget Phillipson MP, chairwoman of the Labour Party, said: “Farage can’t buy his way out of the sleaze and scandal he and Reform UK are drowning in – or the multiple police investigations that are ongoing into Reform’s dodgy finances.
“The serious questions Farage and Reform need to answer aren’t going away – in fact they’re just piling up. It’s time Farage and Reform came clean with the public and prove they’re not just in it for themselves.”