Rayner hints at donations cap after Reform given £72m by crypto-billionaires

Angela Rayner has suggested ministers could still impose a cap on political donations in the wake of Reform UK’s £72 million gifts from two crypto-billionaires.

The twin £36 million donations from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne have reignited calls for a cap on donations, which Andy Burnham is said to have previously supported.

The Government did not accept amendments to its Representation of the People Bill last week that would have imposed a cap of £100,000 per year on donations from a single source.

Ms Rayner suggested on Sunday this was due to concerns about “loopholes”, as she left open the possibility that ministers could still introduce a cap.

She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “It’s not as simple as we’re saying we won’t put a cap.”

The Government has told officials to examine how a cap would work, with Ms Rayner saying she wanted to stop people “being able to overpower and buy their way into democracy”.

In her interview, she also appeared to hint that Reform could be made to return the money due to new rules on overseas donations that will be back-dated to cover gifts since March.

The rules, which limit donations from overseas electors to £100,000 per year, were proposed in a review by former civil servant Philip Rycroft aimed at countering foreign influence in UK politics.