Jenrick says £72m donations ‘are entirely in line with the law’published at 09:46 BST
09:46 BST
Next up to be quizzed is Reform UK’s economics spokesperson Robert Jenrick, who is first asked about potential law changes over political donations that will apply retrospectively – and if Reform will have to hand any donations back.
Jenrick says the party’s understanding is that it will not have to hand back two £36m donations from crypto investors Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo over the past week.
“These two donations are entirely in line with the law as it is and, as far as we know, what it is going to be in the future,” he says.
He describes the donations as a “huge vote of confidence” in Reform, which will allow the party to be “battle-ready” in the event on an early election.
Jenrick goes on to highlight donations from the trade unions to the Labour Party and House of Lords members who are Conservative donors, adding that Reform are “different”.
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Donations ‘entirely in line with the law’, says Jenrick
Kuenssberg then asks how Reform can be the “party of the ordinary people” when it’s “being bankrolled by billionaires”.
Jenrick responds that Reform is the “only mass membership party left” with 270,000 members, who are the “foundation of the party” but adds that in order to compete with other parties it “had to go further”.
He describes Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo as “patriotic Brits who love this country”, adding that donors are not “buying anything” but “simply supporting our agenda”.