Christopher Harborne, a major donor to the UK's Reform UK party, has announced a total donation of £12m but stated he is "no longer" interested in a pact between the party and the Conservative Party. In an emailed statement to The Guardian, Harborne emphasized: "In the past this was possibly the case, but it is no longer the case."

Harborne is a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor, with a significant portion of his wealth derived from stakes in Tether (one of the world's most popular stablecoins) and the Bitfinex exchange. He is also the founder of aviation fuel company AML Global and a shareholder in defense firm QinetiQ. Born in the UK, Harborne has taken Thai citizenship and is known by the name Chakrit Sakunkrit.

Harborne donated £9m to Reform UK in August 2023 and an additional £3m in November, helping the party raise £5.5m in the final quarter of the year – far surpassing other major parties (Labour at £1.9m, Conservatives at £2.4m, Liberal Democrats at £1.3m). However, according to YouGov polling data, the party's popularity has waned recently, dropping from a high of 29% last autumn to 23% this month.

Harborne also asserted that cryptocurrency should be regulated in the UK, a stance that diverges from party leader Nigel Farage's advocacy for wider adoption and a reduction in capital gains tax on crypto to 10%. Harborne confirmed that Farage's claims that no conditions were attached to the donations were "correct."

Previously, Harborne donated £10m to the Brexit party for the 2019 election campaign and has also given money to the Conservative Party and £1m to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's private office. His substantial donations have revived debates over caps on individual or corporate political donations, especially after the Electoral Commission allowed donations via cryptocurrency, with Reform UK becoming the first party to accept such contributions.

Source: www.theguardian.com