Overseas voters moving to UK could face £100,000 donations cap for year

Under the new proposal, overseas voters moving to the UK will be prevented from making political donations of more than £100,000 for a year after their arrival.

Ministers announced the planned crackdown, as well as tighter controls on corporate donations, which they believe will help stop foreign money from influencing UK elections.

The government had previously announced an annual cap of £100,000 on donations from British citizens living abroad from 25 March.

They now require an individual to be resident in the UK for a minimum period of time for their donations to exceed this limit. The change could hit two of Reformation England’s biggest supporters. Those who previously donated millions to Nigel Farage’s party.

British billionaire Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based businessman, last year A single donation of £9m was made to Reform – the largest donation made by a living person to a political party in the UK.

The cryptocurrency investor and aviation entrepreneur gave Reform a total of £12 million in 2025 and a further £3 million in January.

The Times reported last month that Harborne had registered to vote in the UKand the government’s planned crackdown on political financing in April, Don’t stop him from giving money to the party.

Electoral Commission figures also show that another crypto billionaire, Ben Delo, donated £4 million to Reform between January and March.

Delo writes in The Telegraph in April: He said he would return to the UK from Hong Kong to contribute more to reform.

Under the government’s planned changes, both Harborne and Delo will be among donors covered by the £100,000 limit for a year when they return.

Ministers said other changes would include political donations from companies being assessed on after-tax profits over the previous five years rather than just income.

The government’s aim is to ensure that only legitimate UK-affiliated businesses can donate.

People running for office will also need to prove that the funds they receive before running for office come from legitimate sources.

They will need to declare donations over £2,230 they have received before they can officially become candidates.

The government has said the proposals will be introduced as amendments to the Representation of the People Bill, which is currently scheduled to return to the House of Commons for further consideration on July 14.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “British democracy is not for sale.

“These tough new rules will shut down dodgy financing, stop foreign money from influencing our elections, and keep our democracy strong.

“By holding overseas donors to stricter standards and requiring candidates to prove where their funds come from, we are taking pioneering action around the world to protect the integrity of our elections and combat the threats we face from abroad.”

Changes are part of the government’s response review of political financing It is led by former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft.

The review was launched last year in response to threats posed by foreign states seeking to interfere with British democracy.

In March, the government announced a move to limit donations from British citizens living abroad to £100,000 per year, as well as a ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties in the UK.

The party’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, criticized the reform changes while accusing Labor of “cutting off the legal funding of its main rival”.

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