It’s getting worse for Kemi Badenoch and her cash strapped Conservative Party, following news that one of the party’s biggest donors has decided to pull the plug on his donations, in a move that will likely mean the closure of the party’s northern HQ.
Richard Harpin, the founder of the home repairs business HomeServe, has ended his donations to the Conservatives, according to two Tory sources, the Guardian reports.
It is a major blow to Badenoch who has tried desperately to stop Tory donors from fleeing since taking over. It comes as the party also faces competition from Reform UK, with many donors switching allegiances to Farage’s party.
Among them are the likes of Bassim Haidar and Mohamed Amersi, both former Tory donors, who previously paid thousands of pounds each to attend a lavish Reform UK fundraiser.
Electoral Commission records show that Harpin gave the Conservatives nearly £850,000 in 2024 and has donated £3.8m to the party since 2008, £2m of which was in cash.
The Guardian reports: “Until recently, Harpin, who grew up in Northumberland, made a monthly £33,000 cash donation to the party, which paid for its northern HQ in Leeds. This has now ended and the Leeds HQ is likely to close as a result, two Tory sources said.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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