Jenrick says Reform UK's £72m crypto donations comply with law

September 13, 2026 at 02:16 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Reform UK economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said £72m in donations from two cryptocurrency billionaires are 'entirely in line with the law'. He told the BBC he does not expect the party to return money from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. The government is seeking to cap donations from British expats at £100,000, backdated to 25 March.

Key Facts

Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne each gave £36m to Reform UK over two days.
The donations share the record for the largest ever given to a UK political party.
The government proposes a £100,000 cap on donations from British expats, backdated to 25 March.
The measures were added to the Representation of the People Bill after MPs approved them this month.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the changes were 'directly as a result' of a review by Philip Rycroft published on 25 March.

Donor Compliance

Robert Jenrick told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Reform UK believes the £72m in donations are 'entirely in line with the law as it is and, as far as we know, the law as it's going to be in the future'. He said one donor, Ben Delo, has returned to the UK in part to comply with the proposed changes to the law. Jenrick stated the donors were 'not buying anything, they simply support our agenda'. He added that he would not be surprised if the government tried to make it even harder for people to donate to Reform.

Legislative Changes

The government is seeking to limit donations from British citizens living overseas to £100,000, backdated to 25 March. The measures also cap donations from those who move back to the UK at £100,000 in the year after their return. The provisions were added to the Representation of the People Bill after approval by MPs this month. The bill still needs to be scrutinised in the House of Lords.

Government Response

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, appearing on the same programme, would not say whether the proposed changes would apply to Delo and Harborne. She said she did not know the individual circumstances of the donors. Rayner said the changes were 'directly as a result' of a review by former top civil servant Philip Rycroft, published on 25 March. She added that the government has written to the Electoral Commission to see what further measures are needed to protect democracy.