Farage says the donations have won public respect
Nigel FarageReform UK leader
Nigel Farage says securing the donations impressed people. He presents the money as a way to compete with established parties.
“The fact that I managed to pull off a coup of that magnitude, I think people were quite impressed”
Reporting
Other statements by Nigel Farage in this case
- Nigel Farage calls the 72 million pounds an investment in democratic renewalEarlier: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Reform UK accepts record 72 million pounds from two crypto billionaires as critics call for a donations cap
Reform UK accepted two donations of 36 million pounds each in September 2026. Ben Delo, a co-founder of the crypto trading platform BitMEX, announced his gift on September 11, and Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor, matched it the next day. According to the BBC, they are the largest sums a UK political party has received since donations had to be declared in 2001. Party leader Nigel Farage called the money an investment in democratic renewal that levels the playing field with Labour and the Conservatives, and Harborne said he expects nothing in return. Trades Union Congress general secretary Paul Nowak called Reform a party for sale and the donations a crisis for democracy, and a Labour cabinet minister, Liberal Democrats and a transparency campaigner criticized the donations or called for limits. The dispute is whether Reform was right to accept the money.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Independent reproduces Farage's defense of the donations. His assessment of public opinion is his claim, rather than a polling result.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Independent attributes the comments to a Sunday Times interview.
After the quotation
Farage acknowledges having expected a backlash over the donations.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference is Reform's acceptance of the two donations. Farage presents their size as an achievement and supplies a competitive justification.
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More from this case
Read the full caseGove says donors should be entitled to spend their money within the law
“they should be entitled, within the law, to spend it as they wish.”Read statement
Angela Rayner says two offshore billionaires are trying to buy democracy
“How dare they try to compare money from a couple of crypto billionaires to union members’ subs? The most highly regulated political funding we can have ... It couldn’t be more different from a couple of offshore billionaires trying to buy our democracy.”Read statement
Boris Johnson objects to a cap but questions the crypto donors' motives
“Just because some people want to support one party very generously, Labour kicks up a huge fuss and says they’re going to cap donations ... The problem with Reform … whatever the motives of these guys, these crypto kings, in funding Reform with squillions. I wonder whether they want Reform to be pro-crypto”Read statement
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- Farage says the donations have won public respect
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The Dispute Index. "Farage says the donations have won public respect". First published: 2026-10-31. Last updated: 2026-10-31. https://disputeindex.com/events/7583-nigel-farage-says-securing-the-donations-impressed-people