Christopher Harborne, a British-Thai cryptocurrency billionaire and the largest donor to Reform UK, has registered to vote in the United Kingdom, a move that could enable him to increase his financial support to the party. Harborne, 63, previously donated £5 million to Nigel Farage, the party leader, shortly before Farage was elected as an MP in 2024.
Farage is currently under investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner regarding the legality of that donation. Parliamentary rules require new MPs to declare any registrable benefits received in the year prior to their election, and there are questions about whether Farage complied with these regulations. If the investigation finds a breach, it could result in a suspension from the House of Commons and trigger a by-election in Farage’s Clacton constituency in Essex. Farage has denied any wrongdoing.
The government has recently introduced a £100,000 annual limit on donations from overseas British voters, which could restrict Harborne's ability to contribute large sums to Reform UK. Harborne has criticized the cap, asserting that the government lacks the authority to prevent his donations and stating he intends to find ways around the limit. Shortly after hearing about the donation cap, he reportedly declared he would consider increasing his donations.
Until recently, Harborne's electoral registration classified him as an overseas voter. However, his status changed in June when he registered an address at a Hampshire farmhouse, restoring his eligibility to vote within the UK. A spokesman for Harborne confirmed this development but did not indicate whether the billionaire planned to resume donations.
Harborne is part of a growing group of cryptocurrency billionaires whose contributions are shaping UK politics. Last week he attended an event hosted by Ben Delo, another cryptocurrency billionaire donor who contributed £4 million to Reform UK. Delo moved back to the UK from Hong Kong partly to continue his financial support for the party. That event, held at the National Gallery, was also attended by right-wing figures including Farage and Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain and a former Reform MP.
A source from Reform UK expressed optimism about Harborne’s return, suggesting that the party is attracting wealthy taxpayers back to Britain at a rate surpassing that of the Labour party.
Farage has defended the £5 million donation as an unconditional personal gift, stating that how he uses the money is his decision. Speaking on LBC Radio, he said he could spend the funds as he wished, whether on cars or horse racing, and dismissed further inquiries into the matter as irrelevant. When pressed about earlier remarks that characterized the gift as support for his personal security and a Brexit reward, Farage reiterated that it was an unconditional gift made amid his history of being physically attacked. He declined to say whether he would return the money, deferring to the decision of the standards commissioner.