UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK faces scrutiny over its finances after spending £2m on a mailshot campaign, raising concerns over transparency.
As reported by The Guardian, the Liberal Democrats have called on Nigel Farage to reveal Reform UK’s donation sources after the party reportedly spent £2m on personalised letters to voters.
What did Daisy Cooper demand from Nigel Farage before election day?
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, wrote to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage urging him to reveal the party’s funding sources ahead of Thursday’s polls, pointing out the party had previously reported just £281,000 in donations during the last quarter of 2024.
The Lib Dems claim that Reform UK sent two direct mail pieces from Farage to each of the 1.9 million postal voters for this month’s local and mayoral elections, with the estimated cost reaching £2.1m.
In her letter to the Reform leader, Ms Cooper writes, “to request clarity over the funding sources for Reform UK’s local election campaign,” drawing attention to the expected cost of the direct mail campaign and the party’s reported donations.
She wrote,
“The Electoral Commission will not publish information on donations for the first quarter of 2025 until after polling day on 1 May. That means that voters will not know the potential sources of funding for your party’s local election campaign before they cast their votes.”
Ms Cooper added,
“So will you publicly rule out accepting any donations from wealthy donors linked to Russia or the Trump administration? And will you do that before this week’s local elections?”
What did the Reform Spokesperson say about funding and membership size?
A Reform spokesperson stated,
“The figures published by the Electoral Commission are large donations only. Our outstanding election campaign has been funded by Reform members, and grassroots small donors.”
They added,
“Reform has two-and-a-half times as many members as the Liberal Democrats, so we understand how this would be an alien concept to them – 225,000 members x £25 per year is £5.6m.”
What did Reform say about funding and professionalising its election campaign?
According to Reform UK, the campaign is largely funded by smaller donations, which are not required to be disclosed, along with funds from membership fees.
Mr Farage has committed to professionalizing his party in a similar fashion to the Liberal Democrats, who are known for their relentless election campaigning, powered by door-to-door efforts and delivering leaflets.
Despite having a large membership, Reform UK seems to lack a substantial on-the-ground campaigning infrastructure, relying on a significant number of paid leaflets sent to voters during the local election campaigning.
Where is Reform UK’s funding coming from after the new treasurer takes over?
In March, Mr Farage launched Reform UK’s campaign with a rally held at a Birmingham arena. The event featured symbolic props, such as a closed pub, a rundown bus stop, and roads covered in potholes, all meant to highlight the party’s view of a “broken” country.
The mailouts include an image of Mr Farage sitting beside a dog, with text attributing issues like housing shortages and NHS waiting times to migration.
By law, parties must declare donations of £500 or more to the Electoral Commission. The latest data, published in March, reveals that Reform UK raised £280,000 during the last quarter of 2024.
In December, Candy, a wealthy property developer, became Reform UK’s treasurer, with the party asserting that he would attract significant donations. However, it remains unclear whether this has materialized and, if so, the source of the funds.
Under UK electoral laws, only individuals on the electoral register can donate. A recent change under the Conservative Party allows donations from individuals who have lived abroad for more than 15 years, enabling Reform UK to access a wider pool of donors, including those in areas like Monaco.
How much donation did Reform UK receive from Bassim Haidar?
A major donor to the Tory party has defected to Reform UK, committing £1 million to support Nigel Farage’s efforts to “restore the country’s former glory.”
The tech mogul has expressed confidence that Nigel Farage could be the next prime minister. He has continued over £200,000 to the party for next week’s local elections.
He stated,
“I’ve always been pro-business and I always supported parties that supported businesses. The Conservative Party stopped listening and, for me, I had to go with the party that I believe can reset and change the status quo in the UK.”
Mr Haider said,
“Nigel and Reform are the only ones that can do this and that’s why I’m supporting them. If we want a better future, we have to stop funding the past.”