South Suffolk MP calls for transparency over political donations amid £72m Reform UK funding row
South Suffolk's Conservative MP says political donations should be made "as transparent as possible" amid renewed debate over how parties are funded.
James Cartlidge was responding to questions over £72 million donated to Reform UK by cryptocurrency billionaires Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo.
The donations have come under scrutiny because of planned changes to the rules governing political funding, including a £100,000 annual cap on donations from overseas electors.
The Government says the cap will apply retrospectively to donations made by overseas electors from 25 March 2026. People who were overseas electors and subsequently return to the UK would remain subject to the cap until they have been resident in the country for a full calendar year.
Reform UK has said the donations comply with the law.
'There should be a debate'
Asked about the donations and whether he supported caps on donations from overseas UK voters, Mr Cartlidge said the Conservative Party did not support what he described as "arbitrary caps" on political donations.
However, he said the scale of the Reform UK donations justified scrutiny.
He said: "I totally understand with such a gargantuan amount of money why this is getting the publicity it is and there should be a debate about money and politics and so on."
Mr Cartlidge argued that private donations would continue to be needed because, in his view, taxpayers would not support greater public funding of political parties.
He added: "So, in my view, that means we're going to still need to have private donations.
"The key is to have a system that's as transparent as possible. That's the key."
What are the current rules?
Under the current rules in Great Britain, there is no overall limit on how much a permissible donor can give to a political party.
The Electoral Commission says permissible individual donors include people registered on a UK electoral register, including overseas electors. Parties are responsible for checking that donations come from permissible sources and must report qualifying donations to the Commission.
The Government is proposing changes following the independent Rycroft Review into foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics.
Its planned reforms include an annual £100,000 cap on donations and regulated transactions from overseas electors.
The Government says the cap would apply retrospectively to donations from overseas electors received from 25 March 2026. It has also proposed a minimum residency period, meaning people covered by the rules who return to the UK would continue to face the cap until they have been resident in the UK for a full calendar year.
The measures are being taken forward through amendments to the Representation of the People Bill.
Reform UK responds
Michael Hawden, Reform UK's leader at Suffolk County Council, rejected Mr Cartlidge's criticism and said the party operated under the same rules as other political parties.
He said: "I will not take lectures on financial management from a Conservative Party whose policies have contributed to the dire financial circumstances this country and councils like ours find themselves in.
"Reform UK operates under the same rules as every other political party, and our finances are regulated and transparent."
Mr Hawden said the level of financial support for Reform UK showed people across the country wanted to back the party, and described it as "the real opposition".
He added: "Rather than throwing stones at Reform, I think Mr Cartlidge would be better off asking why so many former Conservative voters have abandoned his party.
"Looking at the current polling, he has plenty to worry about in his own constituency."