Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has criticized large donations made to the Reform UK party by two cryptocurrency billionaires, sparking a contentious debate over political funding laws in the United Kingdom. Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne each donated £36 million to Reform, marking the largest single donations ever received by a British political party. These contributions have prompted government proposals to impose new limits on political donations, including retrospective measures that could require Reform to return the funds.

The donations have drawn scrutiny amid ongoing legislative changes aimed at curbing foreign and crypto-based influence in UK politics. Under the proposed Representation of the People Bill, donations from overseas electors would be capped at £100,000 per year, effective from March 25—the date when initial proposals for donation caps were announced. Additionally, returning donors would be required to wait one calendar year before exceeding this limit. The legislation also seeks to place restrictions on donations made using cryptoassets. Both Delo and Harborne are British citizens but have spent significant time living abroad—Harborne in Thailand and Delo in Hong Kong—which has fueled debate over whether their donations comply with the proposed rules.

At the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference in Brighton, Rayner described the donations from Delo and Harborne as fundamentally different from the millions given to the Labour Party by its affiliated trade unions. Labour has received approximately £150 million from unions since 2010. Rayner labeled the donors as “fascist oligarchs” seeking to “buy our democracy,” and vowed to defend democratic processes against such influence. She argued that union contributions, funded by worker levies, contrast sharply with large donations from offshore billionaires with vested interests. This stance has drawn accusations of hypocrisy from Reform, which contends that Labour’s substantial funding from unions also represents concentrated financial influence. Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice described the government’s plans as a “coup” and raised concerns about retrospective legislation undermining the rule of law.

Reform leader Nigel Farage dismissed suggestions that the donations breach existing laws and warned that retroactive changes would damage the country’s reputation. He has denied any wrongdoing related to the party’s funding and rejected claims that Reform’s donors seek to exert undue influence. Meanwhile, government ministers, including Baroness Taylor, emphasized the need to address the growing role of large monetary contributions in politics to maintain public trust.

The controversy has elicited differing views across party lines. Labour asserts the importance of transparency and public control over political funding, while opponents argue that curbs on donations risk unfairly targeting Reform UK and disrupting established funding sources like trade unions. The issue remains unresolved as Parliament prepares to debate the Representation of the People Bill, with both Reform and Labour monitoring developments closely ahead of potential legal challenges.