Reform UK Defends £72m Donations as Richard Tice Accuses Government of Changing Rules Retrospectively

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has accused the government of attempting to “retrospectively change rules” following a major fundraising boost that has seen the party receive £72 million in donations.

The controversy follows the party’s announcement over the weekend that it had received two donations worth £36 million each from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo. Both donors are British citizens who have lived abroad, with Harborne having lived in Thailand and Delo in Hong Kong.

The donations are believed to represent the largest individual contributions ever made to a UK political party. Before the latest payments, the record for the biggest single political donation stood at £10 million, given to the Conservative Party by businessman and philanthropist Lord John Sainsbury.

The size of Reform’s donations has intensified debate over whether British citizens living overseas should be allowed to make large contributions to UK political parties.

The government was already pursuing changes to the rules governing political donations from British expatriates before Reform announced the latest payments. Proposed legislation includes a £100,000 limit on donations from eligible British citizens living abroad, with the government seeking to apply the restriction retrospectively from 25 March.

The House of Lords is due to debate the proposed changes, adding further significance to the dispute between Reform UK and the government over political party financing.

Tice has strongly criticised the proposed restrictions, arguing that the government is attempting to alter the rules after Reform received the substantial donations.

Speaking to the BBC, he accused ministers of being “scared” of political competition and suggested the proposed changes were motivated by Reform’s growing financial strength and influence.

Reform UK maintains that the £72 million in donations is lawful under the rules that were in place when the money was given. The party has also said that the contributions would remain legal even if Parliament approves the proposed changes to donation rules.

The dispute highlights a wider political argument over how parties should be funded and whether wealthy British citizens living overseas should be able to make substantial contributions to UK political campaigns.

The government’s proposed £100,000 cap is intended to restrict the size of donations that can be made by British expatriates. Supporters of the measure argue that tighter controls are necessary to protect the integrity of Britain’s political system, while Reform has portrayed the proposals as an attempt to disadvantage a growing political rival.

The record-breaking donations have placed Reform UK at the centre of an increasingly heated debate over political funding ahead of the next UK general election.

With the House of Lords preparing to consider the proposed changes, the disagreement over Reform’s fundraising is likely to continue, particularly over whether new restrictions should apply to donations that were made before any change in the law.