Will donor's millions help Reform UK to win power?

The latest quarterly declarations to the Electoral Commission of donations to political parties puts Reform UK ahead of the traditional parties. Indeed, the £10m that Reform received is more than the donations to the Conservatives (£5m), Labour (£3m) and the Liberal Democrats (£1m) put together.

- JOHN RENTOUL

Almost all of that Reform figure is accounted for by a single donation of £9m from Christopher Harborne, a British entrepreneur based in Thailand. It's one of the biggest donations ever given to a British political party.

Nigel Farage is naturally as pleased as punch. A spokesperson told The Independent: "This quarter's figures show the incredible progress Reform UK is making. This is further evidence that we have all the momentum in British politics."

But the size of the donation, along with its source, has inevitably raised a host of questions.

Is Harborne's £9m 'unprecedented'?

Hollie Ridley, Labour's general secretary, has put out an urgent email to supporters saying: "Something unprecedented just happened."

Harborne's donation is certainly one of the biggest ever recorded in British politics since the disclosure of donations to parties was required by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It is the biggest single amount given by a living donor.