Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has received its largest-ever donation, with businessman Christopher Harborne handing the party £9 million in August, according to new Electoral Commission filings.
The contribution, one of the biggest by a living person to a British political party, arrives ahead of crucial local and national assembly elections scheduled for May next year.
Who is Christopher Harborne, and what are his political affiliations?
Harborne, a British-born investor now based in Thailand, has a long history of political giving across the right-of-centre spectrum.
Between 2001 and 2022, he donated nearly £2 million to the Conservative Party, particularly during Boris Johnson’s leadership.
He was also a significant backer of the Brexit Party, Reform UK’s predecessor, contributing heavily in 2019 and 2020.
His latest gift marks the largest political donation on record from a living individual, surpassing sums typically seen in peacetime British politics.
Only Lord Sainsbury’s £10 million bequest to the Conservatives in 2023 exceeds it.
Harborne, who chairs Sherriff Global Group, built his wealth in aviation fuel distribution through AML Global Ltd.
His business interests span financial services and early cryptocurrency investments, including stakes in the companies behind Tether and the Bitfinex exchange.
He also holds shares in the defence technology firm QinetiQ.
A former ally of Boris Johnson, Harborne travelled with the then prime minister to Ukraine and previously gifted him £1 million after he left office.
His support for Farage underscores shifting donor allegiances on the British right.
Reform outpaces major parties in fundraising
The latest Electoral Commission data shows political parties collectively raised £24 million in the third quarter of this year, more than double the £10 million recorded during the same period in 2023.
With elections approaching, parties are rapidly strengthening their financial positions.
Reform UK reported raising £10.5 million over the period — nearly matching the combined total of the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
The Conservatives collected £7 million, Labour £2.56 million, and the Lib Dems £2.17 million.
The Green Party reported £371,753 in donations, reflecting figures mostly predating the leadership of Zack Polanski.
Reform also received £500,000 from property developer Nick Candy, another former Conservative donor who defected to Farage’s movement last year.
Rising funding fuels speculation of a Conservative–Reform pact
The influx of high-profile Conservative donors has reignited reports of conversations about a possible electoral pact between the Tories and Reform UK ahead of the next general election in 2029.
The Financial Times reported that Nigel Farage discussed such an arrangement with party backers, though both sides have publicly denied any deal is being considered.
Polling continues to underscore Reform’s growing momentum.
The latest More in Common survey places Farage’s party on 30%, with the Conservatives and Labour tied on 21% each and the Greens trailing behind.
As financial and political pressure intensifies, Reform’s surge in funding — and the heavyweight donors behind it — is reshaping the dynamics of Britain’s right-wing politics ahead of a pivotal electoral year.
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