Guardian Editorial Calls for Limits on Political Donations After Multi-Million Pound Gifts to Reform UK

An editorial published by The Guardian has called for the House of Lords to impose limits on political donations and party spending, citing two £36m gifts to Reform UK reported over the weekend.

According to the editorial, the donations came from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, described as crypto billionaires who have lived abroad. The piece states that Delo previously lived in Hong Kong, while Harborne is based partly in Thailand.

The Guardian's editorial board argues that the scale of the donations "transformed the context" for the representation of the people bill currently making its way through parliament. It says the gifts make Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision not to impose a limit on political donations "look even more misguided," noting that he had reportedly supported such a limit before taking office.

The editorial says the House of Lords still has an opportunity to amend the bill and should use it to introduce "meaningful limits" on both political donations and party spending.

It raises questions about whether the donations from Delo and Harborne meet criteria set out in the Rycroft review into foreign influence in politics, which the editorial says caps donations at £100,000 per year for individuals who have not resided in the UK for at least a year.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said on Monday that he did not know the details of the donors' movements, according to the editorial.

The Guardian's editorial board writes that while ministers may be wary of a potential legal dispute over the donors' eligibility under the rules, the government "must do what it takes to ensure rules are met."