Event
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice says the party complied with donation laws but declines to say when crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne returned to or spent time in the UK. Proposed legislation would retrospectively limit donations from overseas-based British donors who had not been UK-resident for at least 12 months.
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Richard Tice says Reform UK complied with current and proposed donation laws, while the residency status of its two £36m donors remains undisclosed.
Background
Reform UK received £36m each from donors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, reportedly unprecedented individual donations in UK political history. Deputy leader Richard Tice says the party complied with donation laws but has not disclosed the donors’ UK residency dates or time spent in Britain. Proposed legislation would retrospectively restrict donations from overseas-based British donors who had not been UK-resident for at least 12 months.
Reform UK received £36m each from donors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, reportedly unprecedented individual donations in UK political history. Deputy leader Richard Tice says the party complied with donation laws but has not disclosed the donors’ UK residency dates or time sp
Fact cards
Key entities: Reform UK, Richard Tice, Ben Delo, Christopher Harborne, Sir Philip Rycroft, Angela Rayner.
How much did Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne donate? They each donated £36m, for a combined £72m. What does Reform UK say about the donations? Richard Tice says the party complied with donation laws. What residency information has Reform disclosed? It has not said when Delo ret
The Guardian Politics | https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/14/reform-donors-uk-time-limit-richard-tice | published 2026-09-14T08:30:35.000Z | primary source | The Guardian Politics | Primary report on Tice’s comments, the donations and proposed residency rules | Event
2026-09-14: The Guardian reported Richard Tice’s comments on the donations and proposed residency restrictions. Before 2026-09-14: Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne each donated £36m to Reform UK. Proposed, from March 2026: Overseas-based British donors who had not been UK-reside
Timeline
The Guardian reported Richard Tice’s comments on the donations and proposed residency restrictions.
Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne each donated £36m to Reform UK.
Overseas-based British donors who had not been UK-resident for at least 12 months could face a £100,000 donation limit.
The restrictions could apply retrospectively to the reported donations.
FAQ
They each donated £36m, for a combined £72m.
Richard Tice says the party complied with donation laws.
It has not said when Delo returned from Hong Kong or how much time Harborne spends in the UK.
They would limit certain donations from overseas-based British donors who had not been UK-resident for at least 12 months.
No. It is part of proposed legislation and its reported application remains uncertain.
£72 million, in two reported £36 million donations.
Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo.
Cap relevant donations from overseas electors and recently returned Britons at £100,000 a year.
No. Reform says they complied with UK law; Rayner said the proposed rules could apply retrospectively.
Not yet; it still requires passage through Parliament.