By Channel 4 News Investigations Team
The cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne has used “gaping loopholes” within the legislation to bankroll Reform UK whereas declaring his residence as each Thailand and the UK to totally different authorities, Channel 4 News can reveal.
Harborne, one of many largest donors in British political historical past, moved from Britain to Thailand within the Nineties and have become a Thai citizen in 2011.
At the time, British residents who lived overseas might solely donate to UK political events for 15 years after they emigrated. But nearly all of Harborne’s greater than £25 million in registered donations had been made not less than 20 years after he moved to Thailand.
An investigation by Channel 4 News can now reveal that Harborne, pictured beneath, flew again to the UK earlier than the Brexit referendum in June 2016 and registered with electoral officers as dwelling in Hampshire.
He did so regardless that he then declared in firm paperwork in October that 12 months – only a few months after the referendum – that he was dwelling in Thailand.
This meant that he might legally proceed to be classed as resident in Thailand for industrial causes – presumably with all of the potential advantages that include dwelling offshore – whereas additionally lawfully having the ability to vote for Brexit as a UK resident and donate important sums from overseas for one more 15 years.
For a while Harborne was then registered as an abroad donor, primarily based again in Thailand. But final month the 63-year-old once more registered to vote as a resident in Hampshire, within the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council space. This will permit him to proceed funding Reform UK, after Labour introduced proposals for a brand new £100,000 cap on donations from overseas.
However, he nonetheless seems as normally resident in Thailand on publicly-available UK firm paperwork. Any change of residency ought to, by legislation, be declared to Companies House inside 14 days.
Channel 4 News understands that it’s lawful to register as a UK resident with electoral officers regardless of not dwelling right here completely, even when you additionally declare to Companies House that you’re normally resident offshore. Electoral guidelines don’t specify what number of days somebody wants to be dwelling at an deal with per 12 months to be classed as resident as a voter and donor.
Experts stated this was a “gaping loophole” – permitting individuals to profit from declaring they dwell somewhere else – and that pressing authorized change was wanted to stop individuals taking part in the system.
They additionally stated this might undermine Labour plans to crack down on international donations, with people doubtlessly ready to bypass proposed new guidelines by registering as UK-based voters, even when they don’t dwell right here completely.
Under tax guidelines, individuals have to pay tax right here in the event that they spend 183 days or extra within the UK. Those who dwell offshore for tax functions don’t pay UK tax on their abroad earnings. Harborne’s representatives had been requested the place he has been resident for tax functions all through this time, however didn’t present a solution.
Harborne is already dealing with important scrutiny after it emerged that he had made a £5 million gift to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in April 2024 within the months earlier than Farage introduced he would stand for election in Clacton and turn out to be Reform UK chief.
Farage has denied wrongdoing and stated the cash was a non-public reward that didn’t want to be declared. The reward is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner as guidelines state that new MPs should declare any registrable advantages they acquired within the 12 months earlier than they had been elected. The revelations led to Farage standing down as an MP and forcing a by-election in Clacton.
UK Companies House paperwork present that Harborne has declared Thailand as his nation of ordinary residence on a number of events, from not less than 2005 and up till 2022. He has not claimed his nation of residence because the UK in any of the general public Companies House filings seen by Channel 4 News.
In a lawsuit filed by Harborne’s attorneys in opposition to the Wall Street Journal in February 2024, a financial institution utility was referred to from November 2018, which acknowledged that he was “a long term resident of Thailand (20+ years)”.
The doc additionally acknowledged that Harborne had lived and labored in Thailand for greater than 20 years on the time it was filed. It stated he acquired Thai nationality in 2011 and thus additionally used the Thai title Chakrit Sakunkrit. There was no point out within the filings of any everlasting residence within the UK.
The Electoral Commission is known to be in contact with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council about our findings.
Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, stated “concerns about the accuracy of the electoral register are taken seriously by the Commission and the local authority, who remain in regular contact.”
While Dr Sam Power, an professional in political finance and electoral regulation, informed us: “We see someone working in a system that is incredibly permissive, in a system which has gaping loopholes.”
Harborne has donated £15 million to Reform UK since 2025 and beforehand gave £10.2 million to the Brexit Party. Reform UK didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Harborne additionally beforehand donated round £1.79 million to the Conservative Party. A Conservative Party spokesman stated it absolutely complied with the legislation, carried out due diligence on donors and solely accepted donations from permissible sources.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council stated it couldn’t touch upon particular person circumstances, including: “Objections to an existing registration must be made by a registered elector currently on the electoral register in the area.”
A authorities spokesman stated: “We’re strengthening political finance rules and protecting British democracy so the rules can’t be dodged.”
Christopher Harborne declined to remark.
