Reform UK Challenges Proposed Donor Cap After Undercover Footage
Reform UK maintains that £72 million in billionaire donations are legal despite undercover footage showing a former policy chief questioning their status.
The political party Reform UK is defending the legality of £72 million in donations from billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo. The party faces scrutiny after undercover footage from the investigative group Verbatim showed James Orr, the suspended former head of policy, expressing doubt about whether the funds would comply with a proposed retrospective overseas donor cap.
The proposed law would require domestic donors giving over £100,000 to have been UK residents for at least one calendar year. Orr characterized the legislation as an attempt to "kneecap" the party and indicated that Reform UK intended to challenge the measure through a judicial review. Lawyers for Harborne have dismissed Orr's remarks as private speculation.
Reform UK maintains the donations are legal, noting that the proposed law has not yet passed. James Orr was suspended last month following separate reports that he discussed bypassing funding laws for a US-based donor, a matter that remains under police investigation.
