UK Government Limits Overseas Political Donations to £100,000

British billionaire Christopher Harborne stated that Sir Keir Starmer's planned crackdown on political finance will not stop him from donating to Reform UK. Harborne, a cryptocurrency investor and aviation entrepreneur based in Thailand, told the Telegraph he believes he is the reason the government announced a £100,000 cap on donations from British citizens living overseas.

He added that he does not believe the government has a right to stop him, saying, "they won't.

Harborne told the Telegraph he could challenge the £100,000 cap in court and has not ruled out returning to the UK to get around the donations cap. A government spokesperson said the cap on donations is part of decisive action to protect the integrity of the democratic system from foreign interference.

The government announced the £100,000 cap on donations from British nationals living abroad last month, with changes announced in March to protect UK democracy from foreign actors and financial influence, including the annual £100,000 cap on donations from British citizens living abroad.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed denied the cap was designed to target Reform UK's donors. Reed told the BBC that donations from British nationals living and paying taxes overseas cannot be tracked for funding sources in the same way as those in the UK. He added that hostile states like Russians, Chinese, or Iranians could funnel money through overseas British nationals to influence UK elections.

Reform UK sources told the BBC that Harborne's £5m gift to Nigel Farage was given in early 2024 ahead of the general election that year. " Harborne told the Telegraph he was not expecting anything in return apart from ensuring Nigel Farage's safety, and a legal document was signed stating that the £5m gift was unconditional and irrevocable.

Nigel Farage faces questions about the £5m gift from Christopher Harborne received before he became an MP.

Labour and the Conservatives accused Nigel Farage of breaking parliamentary rules by not declaring the £5m gift in the register of interests for MPs. The Conservatives referred Nigel Farage to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and raised concerns with the Electoral Commission about the £5m gift. The Electoral Commission is considering the information about the £5m gift.

Nigel Farage's team stated there was no requirement to declare the £5m money because it was a personal unconditional gift given before he was elected. A Reform UK spokesman said everything has been declared in accordance with the rules regarding the £5m gift.

The Commons code of conduct states that new MPs must register all current financial interests and any registrable benefits received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election.

The Commons code of conduct states that purely personal gifts or benefits from family or commercial loans would not normally have to be registered. It adds that both the possible motive of the giver and the use to which the gift is to be put should be considered, and if there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered.

The Liberal Democrats said Nigel Farage must come clean on whether he promised anything to Harborne in exchange for the £5m.

In a Telegraph interview, Farage said Harborne became concerned about his protection when a milkshake was thrown at him in 2019 while campaigning in Newcastle for the Brexit Party. Farage told the Telegraph that he has tried and failed to get security funded by the Home Office and does not think the state will ever help him.

Farage told the Telegraph that Christopher Harborne is an ardent supporter deeply concerned for his safety.

Reform UK sources say Nigel Farage's team notifies local police forces of his movements when travelling, in line with Operation Bridger protocols. Operation Bridger is a national police programme that offers MPs access to extra security in their homes and constituency offices.

Party sources say Nigel Farage does not receive protection from the Home Office or police and travels with his own private security team.

Harborne made a record donation to Reform UK, donating £9m to Reform UK last year, which is the biggest single donation to a UK political party by a living person. Harborne gave £12m in total to Reform UK in 2025. Harborne previously gave large sums to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson's leadership.

He gave donations to Reform's predecessor the Brexit Party in 2019 and 2020. Zia Yusuf accused Labour of choking off legal funding for its main rival Reform UK. BBC News reported these details, including Harborne's statements and the government's response, as part of coverage on political funding reforms.