Reform UK gets 75% of its donations from crypto entrepreneur pardoned by Trump
Ben Delo’s £4 million gift accounted for 75% of Reform UK’s quarterly donations, prompting scrutiny over political funding rules.
- On Thursday, the Electoral Commission published Q2 2026 donation data showing Britain's political parties accepted over £17.1 million, with Reform UK leading all rivals at £5.3 million in total contributions.
- Crypto billionaire Ben Delo, formerly based in Hong Kong, announced this year he was returning to the UK to involve himself in politics "to save Britain before decline becomes irreversible." He was convicted in the US four years ago over anti-money laundering failures at BitMEX before being pardoned by Donald Trump last year.
- Delo's £4 million donation accounted for 75% of Reform's quarterly income, supplemented by £100,000 from Scottish investor William Alan McIntosh, founder of Emerald Investment Partners. Labour came second at £3.6 million, including £650,000 each from businessman Gary Lubner and supermarket dynasty member David Sainsbury.
- The British government tightened overseas donation rules this year, limiting contributions from British citizens abroad to £100,000 annually. Reform believes Delo, formerly Hong Kong-based, will not be caught by the new cap applied since March.
- Electoral Commission director Jackie Killeen said the system needs strengthening, citing the UK Government's proposed Representation of the People Bill to strengthen donation controls. Farage faces parliamentary scrutiny over a £5 million 2024 gift from crypto investor Christopher Harborne that he did not declare; he won a by-election last month but could be removed if rules were broken.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Reform UK accepts £4million from crypto billionaire pardoned by Donald Trump
New figures reveal Reform UK accepted £4million from crypto billionaire Ben Delo, who was pardoned by Donald Trump after being convicted of failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls
Reform UK gets 75% of its donations from crypto entrepreneur pardoned by Trump
Britain's populist Reform UK party received a £4 million ($5.4 million) donation from a crypto investor convicted of a banking secrecy violation in the United States and pardoned by Donald Trump, accounting for 75% of the party's donations last quarter.
Reform Raises Most From Donations in Q2
New figures from the Electoral Commission show that political parties reported £17.09 million in donations and public funds in the second quarter of the year. That is up 51% on the £11.35 million in Q2 2025, but down 30% on the £24.51 million in Q1 2026… Entrepreneur Ben Delo alone gave Reform £4 million in…
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