UK unions split over proposed cap after £72m Reform UK donations

Britain’s trade union movement is divided over whether to support a cap on political donations after crypto billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo gave Reform UK a combined £72m.

Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak described the donations as a crisis for British democracy and called for tighter restrictions on overseas funding. He said donations should not be permitted from people who do not live and pay taxes in Britain.

Labour-affiliated unions are preparing a statement for possible consideration by the TUC general council, but union sources said there were significant differences among general secretaries. Unite has backed a cap, while GMB and other unions fear restrictions could later be used to limit union donations.

The proposed legislation before the House of Lords would restrict some overseas donations and introduce residency-linked requirements, including a proposed £100,000 limit. These provisions are not currently law, and it remains uncertain whether they will pass or how they would apply to the Reform donations.

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said the party complied with current and proposed donation laws. He declined to disclose when Delo returned to the UK from Hong Kong or how much time Harborne, who also lives in Thailand, spends in Britain.

Former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson criticised the proposed cap as retrospective and unfair, while questioning whether the donors’ support was linked to Reform’s position on cryptocurrency. The two £36m donations are described as unprecedented in UK political history.