Two of Nigel Farage’s biggest backers face being blocked from pouring millions into Reform UK after the government closed a loophole that allowed returning Britons to avoid a £100,000 cap on political donations. The new rules, announced by ministers as part of a wider crackdown on foreign money in elections, impose a year-long £100,000 limit on anyone moving to the UK from overseas — a move that could hit cryptocurrency tycoons Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo, who have together given Reform more than £26m.
Harborne, a Thailand-based billionaire, donated £9m in a single gift last year — the largest ever by a living person to a UK party — and has given Reform £15m in 2025 alone. He has since registered to vote in the UK, according to reports. Delo, based in Hong Kong, donated £4m between January and March this year and has said he will move back to Britain so he can contribute more. Under the government’s planned changes, both men would be subject to the £100,000 cap for a full year after their return.
“New rules close loophole on foreign donations, hitting Reform UK donors Harborne and Delo with £100,000 cap.”
The crackdown closes a loophole exposed after an earlier cap on overseas electors came into force in March. Since then, Britons registered to vote abroad could give only £100,000 a year, but those who moved back could drop their overseas status and donate unlimited sums immediately. The new rules extend the cap to all returning donors for 12 months.
The government said the measures are part of its response to the Rycroft Review, an independent inquiry into political finance that found overseas donations are harder to trace and warned wealthy individuals who had moved abroad could otherwise donate unlimited sums. Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “British democracy is not for sale. These tough new rules will shut down dodgy funding, stop foreign money influencing our elections and keep our democracy strong.”
The changes will be tabled as amendments to the Representation of the People Bill, due back in the Commons on 14 July. They also require donations from companies to be assessed against post-tax profits over five years, and force candidates to prove any funding over £2,230 received before they stood came from legitimate sources.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf accused Labour of “choking off legal funding for its main rival” when the proposals were first outlined. The announcement comes as Farage faces a separate investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner into a £5m gift from Harborne, which could potentially trigger a by-election in his Clacton seat if he is found to have broken the rules.