LONDON

Far-right Reform UK has secured a record-breaking £9 million ($12 million) donation from cryptocurrency investor and aviation entrepreneur Christopher Harborne, according to newly released figures from the Electoral Commission.

Harborne, a British citizen based in Thailand, has previously backed the Conservatives during Boris Johnson’s premiership and was a major funder of the Brexit Party in 2019 and 2020.

His latest contribution arrives ahead of local elections next May, despite the next general election not being scheduled until 2029.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has promoted cryptocurrency and announced earlier this year that his party would become the first in the UK to accept Bitcoin donations.

He insisted the donor had sought no favors in return. “I’ve not promised him a single thing in return for his donation,” he said. “Does he want anything from me? No. Absolutely nothing in return at all. He just happens to think that we’ve not made the most of Brexit, that we’re not getting into the 21st Century technologies.”

The donation surpasses the previous record of £8 million given by supermarket magnate Lord David Sainsbury to the Liberal Democrats in 2019.

Figures from the Electoral Commission show that Reform UK took in more than £10.2 million in donations between July and September, more than any other UK political party.

The Conservatives received £4.6 million over the same period, followed by Labour with £2.1 million and the Liberal Democrats with £1 million.

This is the largest single donation ever made by a living person to a UK political party and marks a significant boost for Reform UK, which has been leading national opinion polls since the spring.