Trade unions have targeted “stratospheric” donations and the flow of “dark money into UK politics” after Reform revealed it received a staggering £72 million from just two supporters.
TUC calls for cleaner politics
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), which groups together some of the largest British unions, stopped short of calling for an outright cap on individual donations but urged policymakers to “clean up our politics and strengthen public trust in our democratic system.” The TUC drew a sharp line between what it called “crypto and corporate cash” and union money, which it characterised as “the cleanest money in politics.”
In a conference motion titled “Cleaner Politics,” tabled by finance union Accord and approved by congress, the TUC condemned the flow of “dark money into UK politics with insufficient transparency or regulation.” On Monday, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak used his address at a conference for trade unions to call for a “proper conversation about how we clean up our politics.”
The combined £72 million also exceeds the total raised by every UK political party last year, which stood at just over £69 million. Delo, who made the first gift, was convicted in the US for failing to implement anti-money laundering controls at BitMEX, the crypto exchange he founded. He received a 30-month probation sentence and a $10 million fine but was pardoned by President Trump last year.
According to campaign group Transparency International, in 2015, donations of £1 million or more from individuals and companies accounted for one percent of all private political donations. By 2024, such high-value donations made up 35 percent of the total. This shift suggests a dramatic concentration of influence in recent years, where a small number of mega-donors can dwarf the collective contributions of traditional party structures.
Read Also: State pension rises by 3.9% under triple lock
Labour MPs debate donation caps
As recently as July, GMB wrote to affiliated MPs urging them to vote down amendments to the Representation of the People Bill that would have capped donations at £100,000 or £1 million. MPs have raised questions over the terms of Harborne and Delo’s mega donations. Currently, British nationals are only able to make donations if they are registered to vote. There is no upper limit on political donations in the UK, although since 2000, donations over £11,180 must be declared to the Electoral Commission.
The row over caps to donations has split Labour backbenchers. According to Politico, Labour peer Michael Wills will put forward an amendment calling for a cap on all donations, except those coming from unions. Reform UK has threatened to curb union funding if it gets into government if Labour changes rules to force them to rescind the £72 million gifts.
City AM understands that the 11 Labour-affiliated unions will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue, with Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, leading calls for a cap between £500,000 and £1 million. The government has approved amendments to the Representation of the People Bill tightening residency rules for donors, and is examining whether these could apply retrospectively from March 2025 — a move that could force Delo and Harborne to hand back their donations. Reform UK insists donations are eligible within the existing rules and the party has attacked Labour for stopping “legitimate donors like this.”
Reform faces police investigation
Just days before the multi-million-pound gifts, the party came under fire after a Channel 4 investigation showed senior aides discussing how to disguise foreign donations. The Metropolitan Police’s Special Enquiry Team has launched a criminal investigation into the party. Reform denies breaking electoral law.