Reform UK Donor Ben Delo Gave £350,000 Loan to Writer in Case Where Judge Cited Online Bullying

Ben Delo, a new major donor to Reform UK, provided a £350,000 loan to conservative writer Nina Power to support her legal case, according to a report by The Guardian. A judge in the case later found that Power had engaged in online bullying and what was described as "regrettable conduct" that carried "the whiff of threat and antisemitism."

Power and her friend, writer Daniel DC Miller, brought a defamation action against performance artist Luke Turner, alleging he had falsely accused them of antisemitism. Turner responded with a counter-claim accusing the pair of harassment, according to the report.

The Guardian reported that the judge's findings centered on social media conduct by Power and Miller during the dispute, characterizing certain posts as bullying in nature.

Delo, who has emerged as a significant financial backer of Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage, has not publicly commented on the loan or the case's findings, according to the report. The Guardian's account did not include a response from Power, Miller, or representatives for Delo.

Details of the underlying defamation and harassment claims, including the full scope of the judge's ruling, were not fully specified in the available reporting.