Reform receives record £36m donation from crypto billionaire

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.

Farage is also under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner over whether he should have declared a £5m cash gift he received from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne ahead of the 2024 election upon his election as an MP.

Farage argues he was under no obligation to register the "purely private" gift, as it was unrelated to his parliamentary or political activities.

The Metropolitan Police is also investigating whether payments to Reform in the weeks before the last election complied with donation laws.

The police inquiry is looking at donations given directly to the party by Fiona Cottrell, mother of longstanding Farage ally George Cottrell.

It is also examining payments from a company controlled by Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, which received £1m from Fiona Cottrell in June 2024.

The restrictions on donations from Britons living abroad prompted a furious row with Reform and its key donors, who have accused Labour of trying to stymie their party's progress.