Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has defended two £36m donations to his party, saying they are “100% compliant with the law today”. Speaking to the BBC, he did not confirm whether the donations would remain permissible if proposed changes to political funding rules are approved by Parliament.

The donations were made by businessmen Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, who are both British and had until recently lived abroad. Farage said there was “no question” the payments were lawful under the current rules, but declined to discuss whether either donor was resident in the UK by 25 March 2026. The BBC said it was not clear exactly when the two men returned to the country.

The House of Lords is debating the government’s Representation of the People Bill. It would limit donations from British citizens living overseas to £100,000 a year, while people who move back to the UK would have to wait at least a year before donating more than that amount. Donors registered as living in the UK by 25 March 2026 would avoid the proposed cap.

Farage criticised the proposed retrospective application, saying the government should not declare donations illegal after they had been made. He said Reform, or the Conservatives, could respond by seeking restrictions on trade union donations if he became prime minister. Farage argued that such measures could undermine political funding and force taxpayers to support parties.

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, rejected a comparison between union funding and the Reform donations. He said union members contributed small amounts through their membership fees, whereas Reform was “bought and paid for by billionaires”. Since 2020, Labour has received almost £43m from trade unions, according to the supplied BBC report.

Education Minister Georgia Gould said the government was concerned about large sums entering politics and money from overseas influencing political decisions. Former senior civil servant Sir Philip Rycroft, whose report prompted the changes, said there was a case for capping all donations. Other parties and union leaders also called for tighter limits, including a cap on donations from UK residents.