Politics

Reform UK receives additional £4m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire Ben Delo

The contribution brings Delo's total support for the party to £8m this year amid discussions over political donation caps.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 13:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

Reform UK has received an additional £4m donation from British cryptocurrency entrepreneur Ben Delo, making his total contributions to the party £8m in 2026.
Delo is currently Reform UK's second-largest financial backer, following investor Christopher Harborne.
A party source expressed confidence that the donation will not be affected by newly introduced rules limiting contributions from individuals not registered domestically to vote.
The UK government continues to examine whether to implement broader annual caps on domestic political mega-donors.

Reform UK received a second £4m donation from Ben Delo, following an initial £4m contribution earlier in 2026.[The Guardian]
Delo pleaded guilty in the US in 2022 to anti-money laundering compliance failures at cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX before later receiving a pardon from Donald Trump.[The Guardian]
Rules applied since March 2026 restrict individuals to a £100,000 annual donation limit unless they have been on the UK domestic electoral register for at least 12 months.[The Guardian]
A Reform UK source stated the party is confident Delo's latest donation will comply with election finance rules.[The Guardian]
Christopher Harborne remains Reform UK's largest donor, having given £15m since the previous general election, though he did not donate in the second quarter of the year.[The Guardian]

Whether Delo's registration status on the UK domestic electoral roll fully satisfies the 12-month requirement to exempt his £4m donation from the overseas cap remains unconfirmed.[The Guardian]
Whether the government will ultimately introduce an annual limit on domestic political donations after omitting the provision from its recent elections bill.[The Guardian]