Reform receives record £36m donation from crypto billionaire

Reform UK has received a £36m donation from a British cryptocurrency billionaire - a record for a UK political party.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph , external , Ben Delo said he was making the move because he wanted a "fair fight and a level playing field".

The sum is the biggest single donation ever given to a political party in the UK.

Party leader Nigel Farage said he was "honoured and humbled" by the gift.

Delo said he was donating £1m a month between now and the latest date Labour could call a general election in 2029 - but that he would give all the money up front in case the government tried to limit mega-donations in future.

There are currently no restrictions on the amount of money UK-based donors can give to political parties.

But Labour previously introduced a £100,000 cap on donations from British citizens living overseas.

Sheffield-born Delo, who has already donated £4m to Reform, has previously said he will move back to the UK from Hong Kong in order to continue his backing for the party.

Last year, Delo was given an unconditional pardon by US President Donald Trump over a Bank Secrecy Act violation.

In the Telegraph, Delo wrote: "Unlike the people who express mock concern for the health of 'our democracy' while doing everything they can to keep it as a cartel, I want a fair fight and a level playing field.

"My conclusion from Reform's recent troubles is that they should spend less time trying to raise funds to compete on equal terms and more time preparing for government."

Nigel Farage tells BBC he 'wasn't listening' during foreign donor talks filmed undercover

Reform's fundraising has been under scrutiny with police announcing an investigation over allegations it broke foreign funding laws, following a broadcast by Channel 4 News last week.

The party denied any wrongdoing and said it would co-operate with the investigation.