Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice accused Labour of “hyperventilating hypocrisy” over the £72 million of donations received by his party from two crypto-billionaires.
The twin £36 million gifts from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne have reignited calls for a blanket cap on donations, going further than legislation aimed at restricting donations from overseas sources.
Reform insisted the donations were in line both with current rules and planned restrictions on money from donors based overseas which are set to be considered in the Lords on Monday.
Those changes restrict donations from expats to £100,000 which would also apply for the first 12 months after they return to the UK – changes which would be backdated to March 25 this year.
Mr Delo has been based in Hong Kong but said in April he would return to the UK to avoid restrictions on overseas donors, and Mr Harborne was based in Thailand but in June he was reported to have registered to vote in Hampshire.
Mr Tice said he was “not familiar with every day of every week that these individuals spend in the country” but told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “We just know that they have complied with the rules and regulations, both existing and proposed and will continue to do so.”
The donations have renewed calls for a blanket cap on individual donations to parties to limit the influence of big money on British politics.
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