Senior Reform official cast doubt over legality of huge donations
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Exclusive: Admission from James Orr to undercover reporter came three months before party was given £72m</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/oct/20/kemi-badenoch-john-healey-capital-gains-tax-budget-covid-inquiry-care-homes-uk-politics-latest-news">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>A senior Reform UK official raised questions about whether major donations from billionaire backers Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo would be legal under the proposed new foreign donors cap three months before they gave £72m to the party.</p><p>James Orr, who was then Reform UK’s head of policy and a Cambridge professor, discussed potential difficulties around future donations from Harborne and Delo in undercover footage captured by the investigative reporting group Verbatim.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/20/senior-reform-official-cast-doubt-legality-huge-donations-james-orr">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Exclusive: Admission from James Orr to undercover reporter came three months before party was given £72mUK politics live – latest updatesA senior Reform UK official raised questions about whether major donations from billionaire backers Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo would be legal under the proposed new foreign donors cap three months before they gave £72m to the party.James Orr, who was then Reform UK’s head of policy and a Cambridge professor, discussed potential difficulties around future donations from Harborne and Delo in undercover footage captured by the investigative reporting group Verbatim. Continue reading...
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