Reform handed £9m boost from Thai-based billionaire

Nigel Farage has insisted the Thai-based crypto billionaire who gave Reform a record £9m donation “wants nothing from me”.

- DAVID MADDOX POLITICAL EDITOR

The multi-million-pound donation from Christopher Harborne, who previously donated to the Tories under Boris Johnson and bankrolled Brexit, is thought to be the biggest given to a party by a living person.

But the donation has prompted concerns about political funding from the Electoral Reform Society and Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which have both called for a change in the law. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have called for a formal investigation.

Mr Farage has backed the deregulation of crypto and, shortly after receiving the donation, publicly promoted Tether, the cryptocurrency company that Mr Harborne is a shareholder in.

Asked about the donation, the Reform UK leader said: “Does he want anything in return for his money? I promise you absolutely nothing. Do I speak to him regularly? Maybe once a month, maybe once every six weeks, but certainly not more than that.”

Despite living in Thailand for more than 20 years and holding a Thai passport, Mr Harborne - a British-born businessman who sometimes goes by his Thai name Chakrit Sakunkrit - has contributed a significant amount of money to British political parties.

The businessman, who made his money as an aviation entrepreneur and through crypto investment, previously gave sizeable sums to the Brexit Party - Reform UK’s predecessor - in 2019 and 2020, but had not given money to politics for five years until this latest donation.

Asked at a press conference why Mr Harborne spends so much time in Thailand, the Reform leader said: “Because that’s where he’s been based for some of his business activities for many, many years ... his natural home is here.

“His donation is nothing out of the blue. It’s nothing new. I mean, after all... he was a dedicated Brexiteer. He gave a significant amount of money to the Brexit Party at the time.