Politics · United Kingdom · 7 hrs ago
Reform official questioned legality of £72m in donations before they were made
In undercover footage recorded in July, Reform UK policy chief James Orr questioned whether two backers could legally donate under a proposed cap on overseas political donations.
Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo each gave the party £36m, three months after the conversation.
The proposed rules would limit overseas donors to £100,000 a year and apply to donations made from March 2026; larger domestic donations would require the donor to have lived in the UK for at least a year.
Orr said Harborne and Delo were a major source of party funding and discussed preparing for tougher rules and challenging them in court.
Reform says the donations are legal because the cap has not yet become law.
Orr remains suspended while police investigate, although the party’s own report cleared him and another official; the proposed law’s effects on the donations remain disputed.
James Orr questioned whether donations from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo would comply with a proposed cap on overseas political donations.
The doubts were expressed in undercover footage recorded in July, three months before the two men gave Reform UK £72m.
Orr said Delo might meet the residency test, while Harborne could face more difficulty.
Reform UK says the donations are legal because the retrospective cap has not yet become law.
The proposed law would limit overseas donations to £100,000 a year and apply to donations made after March 2026.
- Who
- James Orr, then Reform UK’s head of policy, discussed donations from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo.
- What
- Orr questioned whether their donations would comply with a proposed overseas donor cap. The two men gave Reform UK £72m.
- When
- Orr spoke in footage recorded in July 2026. The donations came three months later.
- Where
- The discussion was recorded in undercover footage; the location is not stated.
- Why
- A proposed law would impose a cap on overseas donations and a residency requirement for larger domestic donations.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Undercover footage recorded Orr discussing potential difficulties with donations from Harborne and Delo.
Harborne and Delo gave Reform UK £72m in total.
Reform UK suspended Orr after Channel 4 broadcast some of Verbatim’s undercover filming.
- Total donations
- £72m
- Donation from Christopher Harborne
- £36m
- Donation from Ben Delo
- £36m
- Proposed overseas donor cap
- £100,000 a year
- Footage recorded
- July 2026
What people are saying
a retrospective law, which is unheard of. So, we’re going to challenge it in the courts.
filling the war chest in anticipation
probably more of a challenge
two big whales