Record $12M Crypto Donation to Reform UK Reshapes Political Funding Landscape
Reform UK has secured a historic £9 million ($12 million) donation from crypto investor Christopher Harborne, marking the largest single political donation by a living person in UK history. The Thai-based British businessman, previously a major Conservative donor during Boris Johnson's tenure, has now thrown his financial weight behind Nigel Farage's insurgent party.
The unprecedented contribution arrives as Reform UK leads national opinion polls ahead of May's local elections, despite the next general election being five years away. Harborne's aviation-linked companies, AML Global and Sherriff Group, underscore the growing intersection between private wealth and political financing.
This crypto-powered donation eclipses the previous £8 million record set by Lord David Sainsbury's 2019 Liberal Democrat support. Electoral Commission filings reveal Reform UK raised over £10.2 million last quarter, signaling cryptocurrency's emerging influence in British politics amid ongoing government deliberations about digital asset regulations.