Political donors moving to UK from abroad could face £100,000 cap in blow to Reform UK

British donors living overseas could face a £100,000 annual cap on any donations they make to a political party for a year after their return.

In March this year, Keir Starmer’s government announced a cap of £100,000 per year on any donation from British citizens living abroad in a bid to reduce the influence of foreign money on UK politics.

When the government announced the rule change, crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, who has lived in Thailand for over 20 years, said the cap wouldn’t stop him from donating. 

Last month, the Times reported that Harborne, who has donated £15 million to Reform since 2025, had registered to vote in Hampshire. 

Ben Delo, another crypto investor, vowed to move back from Hong Kong to the UK so he could donate more to Nigel Farage’s party. Delo donated £4 million to Reform at the beginning of the year, before the cap on overseas donations came into force.

In a significant blow to Reform and its donors, under new rules being mulled by ministers, both Harborne and Delo would still be subject to the £100,000 cap for a year after returning to the UK.

Nonetheless, after a year, the cap will of course no longer apply to Harborne, Delo and other donors who were previously living overseas.

Campaign groups including Unlock Democracy and the Electoral Reform Society have argued that there should be a cap on all donations, from UK-based donors and overseas electors. 

The BBC has reported that Labour MPs are also set to push for an amendment on political donations in the Representation of the People Bill.

Andy Burnham has signalled that a donations cap is something he would also support.

In the run up to the Makerfield by-election, Burnham said he thought there should be a cap of around £500,000 on political donations, when asked about the subject by Shaun Bowler, the founder of WakeUpGB, a grassroots campaign.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward