Reform UK Leader warns it would be ‘like a communist country’ if the Government funded political parties.
Nigel Farage (Image: GB News)
Nigel Farage has warned that Labour are seeking to make funding for political parties state run, fuming that it was “like being a communist country.”
The row comes after mounting attacks by the Government over large donations made to Reform UK by the crypto-tycoons Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.
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His party has received some £72m from the pair last week sparking fury from Labour who then want to “change the law” Mr Farage claimed.
Labour Ministers have said they will seek to retrospectively change the law to make foreign donations unlawful. Reform UK says that both donors are British.
Speaking earlier today a Downing Street spokesman denied claims the desire to change the law was politically motivated to target Reform, despite the cap excluding trade unions.
A furious Mr Farage said: “So big donations are fine, if they come to the Labour Party, but big donations are not fine if they come to Reform?”
He claimed that the “lumps of money that Reform has been given get up to parity with the other parties”, saying the funding was “just catching up”.
The Clacton MP added: “Neither of these men will ever go to the House of Lords, ever get a knighthood, or ever receive state funding of any kind.”
If there are caps on donations then Mr Farage warned “you finish up with state funding” for political parties, meaning “it’s you the taxpayer that would foot the bill”
“If you state fund parties […] you have a system that conserves in aspic the big parties as they are today,” the Reform UK leader added.
Mr Farage was speaking on his GB News show, the first he has presented following a short hiatus from the channel.
During his time away, the Reform UK leader contested a by-election in his Clacton seat, which he called earlier this year.
He swept to victory with more than 22,000 votes, having triggered the by-election by resigning the position amid scrutiny over his finances.
Mr Farage had bagged a £5m donation from the crypto-billionaire Harbourne, which he claimed was for security purposes.
Proposed changes to the law on donations would be backdated to this March, raising questions about whether Reform can keep the twin £36m donations from Mr Delo and Mr Harborne, British-born billionaires who have been based abroad.
But ministers are also looking at how to further tighten the rules by introducing an “enhanced” residency test requiring donors to demonstrate they have lived in the UK for an “ongoing” period.
Asked whether the proposed checks were a bid to prevent Reform UK specifically from using the £72m it received over the weekend, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No, I completely reject that.”
No 10 insisted 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 rule,” the spokesman said.
The Labour Party has not advocated for a policy of state-funded political parties.
Reform UK Leader warns it would be ‘like a communist country’ if the Government funded political parties.
Nigel Farage (Image: GB News)
Nigel Farage has warned that Labour are seeking to make funding for political parties state run, fuming that it was “like being a communist country.”
The row comes after mounting attacks by the Government over large donations made to Reform UK by the crypto-tycoons Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.
Get the latest politics news – straight from our team in Westminster and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
His party has received some £72m from the pair last week sparking fury from Labour who then want to “change the law” Mr Farage claimed.
Labour Ministers have said they will seek to retrospectively change the law to make foreign donations unlawful. Reform UK says that both donors are British.
Speaking earlier today a Downing Street spokesman denied claims the desire to change the law was politically motivated to target Reform, despite the cap excluding trade unions.
A furious Mr Farage said: “So big donations are fine, if they come to the Labour Party, but big donations are not fine if they come to Reform?”
He claimed that the “lumps of money that Reform has been given get up to parity with the other parties”, saying the funding was “just catching up”.
The Clacton MP added: “Neither of these men will ever go to the House of Lords, ever get a knighthood, or ever receive state funding of any kind.”
If there are caps on donations then Mr Farage warned “you finish up with state funding” for political parties, meaning “it’s you the taxpayer that would foot the bill”
“If you state fund parties […] you have a system that conserves in aspic the big parties as they are today,” the Reform UK leader added.
Mr Farage was speaking on his GB News show, the first he has presented following a short hiatus from the channel.
During his time away, the Reform UK leader contested a by-election in his Clacton seat, which he called earlier this year.
He swept to victory with more than 22,000 votes, having triggered the by-election by resigning the position amid scrutiny over his finances.
Mr Farage had bagged a £5m donation from the crypto-billionaire Harbourne, which he claimed was for security purposes.
Proposed changes to the law on donations would be backdated to this March, raising questions about whether Reform can keep the twin £36m donations from Mr Delo and Mr Harborne, British-born billionaires who have been based abroad.
But ministers are also looking at how to further tighten the rules by introducing an “enhanced” residency test requiring donors to demonstrate they have lived in the UK for an “ongoing” period.
Asked whether the proposed checks were a bid to prevent Reform UK specifically from using the £72m it received over the weekend, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “No, I completely reject that.”
No 10 insisted 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 rule,” the spokesman said.
The Labour Party has not advocated for a policy of state-funded political parties.