Finance
Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party Lands Second Big Donation From Crypto Investor
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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Nigel Farage's Reform UK received a second major gift from crypto investor Christopher Harborne—£3 million in Q4 2025—bringing his total contributions to Reform in 2025 to at least £12 million, bolstering the party’s fundraising lead over Labour and the Conservatives.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK party lands second big donation from crypto investor
Reform UK Party's Fundraising Success and Key Donors
By Andrew MacAskill
Major Donations Boost Reform UK’s Finances
LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party secured a second big donation from crypto investor Christopher Harborne, helping it raise more money than its rivals last year in a sign that business donors are responding to the party's polling lead.
Reform raised 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) in the fourth quarter of last year, helped by a 3-million-pound donation from Harborne, the Electoral Commission said on Thursday.
This came after Harborne gave the party 9 million pounds in the previous quarter, the biggest single donation to a British political party by a living donor.
Comparison with Other Political Parties
The donations mean Reform received more than 18 million pounds in cash donations last year, more than double the 8.1 million taken in by the governing Labour Party and the 13.4 million raised by the opposition Conservative Party.
The figures exclude the public funding given to parties.
Farage’s Strategy and Party Ambitions
Farage, a veteran Brexit campaigner and friend of U.S. President Donald Trump, is on a mission to professionalise the party before the next national election, due in 2029.
Current Political Standing
Although Reform UK only holds eight of the 650 seats in Britain's parliament, Farage's party has topped national opinion polls since early last year and hopes to triumph in another round of local elections in May, including votes for the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales.
Profile of Reform UK’s Donors
Christopher Harborne’s Contributions
Two thirds of Reform's funding last year came from Harborne, who has declared in legal filings he held a 12% stake in crypto exchange Bitfinex, which shares a parent company with Tether, the world's largest stablecoin issuer.
Other Significant Donors
Anthony Bamford
During the last quarter of last year, the longtime Conservative donor Anthony Bamford also made a 200,000-pound donation to Reform through his company J.C Bamford Excavators Ltd.
David Grainger and Gary Dutton
Reform also received 260,000 pounds from David Grainger, the co-founder of an investment firm focused on the life sciences sector, and 250,000 pounds from double glazing entrepreneur Gary Dutton.
($1 = 0.7488 pounds)
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; editing by Sarah Young and Andrew Heavens)
Key Takeaways
- •Crypto investor Christopher Harborne donated another £3 million to Reform UK in Q4 2025, in addition to his £9 million Q3 contribution, making him Reform’s largest donor this year (amounting to at least £12 million) (reddit.com).
- •Reform UK raised £5.5 million in Q4 2025—surpassing both Labour (~£2 million) and the Conservatives (~£2.4 million) during the period (reddit.com).
- •Harborne’s continued financial backing underscores Reform UK’s rising financial clout and aligns with the party’s pro–crypto messaging, at a time when calls grow for reforming political donation rules and transparency (theguardian.com).
References
- Christopher Harborne has given a further £3m in Q4 2025 to Reform UK. Combined with his £9m donation, he gave £12m in 2025, making him the biggest donor. His contributions make up 24% of the total to
- Christopher Harborne, the ‘intensely private’ mega-donor bankrolling Reform UK | Reform UK | The Guardian
Frequently Asked Questions about Nigel Farage's Reform UK party lands second big donation from crypto investor
1Who donated to the Reform UK party in the fourth quarter?
Christopher Harborne, a crypto investor, donated £3 million to Reform UK in the fourth quarter.
2How much money did Reform UK raise compared to other parties?
Reform UK raised £5.5 million in Q4, more than Labour's £2 million and the Conservatives’ £2.4 million.
3What previous donations has Christopher Harborne made to Reform UK?
Christopher Harborne previously donated £9 million to Reform UK, the largest ever to a British political party by a living donor.
4What is Nigel Farage aiming to achieve with Reform UK?
Nigel Farage aims to professionalise Reform UK ahead of the next national election, scheduled for 2029.