Badenoch Rejects Reform Pact Over £5m Gift

Conservative Party figure Kemi Badenoch announced she will not pursue any electoral agreement with Reform UK after the party’s weak performance in recent byelections. She cited Nigel Farage’s acceptance of a £5 million cash gift from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne as a decisive factor.

Badenoch attacks Farage over £5m gift and rules out alliance

The £5 million gift was first reported by The Guardian in April 2026. Farage initially said it covered his personal security, later described it as a reward for campaigning on Brexit. The parliamentary standards commissioner is now reviewing the gift. In the June 20 byelections, Labour’s Andy Burnham won Makerfield with a 9,000-plus majority and over 50 % of the vote, while Reform placed third in Aberdeen South.

The Guardian

Rejecting a Reform alliance underscores the differences between the Conservatives and Reform, as Badenoch highlighted. Labour’s Makerfield victory has paved the way for a leadership challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is expected to announce his departure soon. The gift probe raises broader concerns about donor transparency. The standards-commissioner review could have implications for parliamentary compliance if the gift is deemed undeclared.

The Guardian

Badenoch argued that accepting a large cash gift tests a politician’s character and contrasted Farage’s conduct with Labour leader Keir Starmer, whom she said “failed that test.” The standards commissioner announced a formal review of the gift’s declaration status. Reform’s spokesperson dismissed any future cooperation, accusing the Tories of having “broken Britain.”

The Guardian

Badenoch dismissed Farage’s account of the £5 million, noting the shift from a personal-security explanation to a Brexit-reward claim as inconsistent. The standards-commissioner probe adds institutional scrutiny to the matter.

The Guardian

Sources differ on Farage’s rationale: one cites personal security, another a Brexit-campaign reward. No public record yet confirms whether the gift is deemed undeclared.

Badenoch attacks Farage over £5m gift and rules out alliance

• “The results have left the idea of the Conservatives doing a deal with Reform stone-dead.” — Kemi Badenoch

The Guardian

• “We won’t need to ever deal with the Tories. They broke Britain and we won’t give them a chance to do it again. We have now led the national opinion polls for well over a year.” — Reform UK spokesperson

The Guardian

• “We are not the same, and voters are not ours to trade like football cards.” — Kemi Badenoch

The Guardian

The standards-commissioner investigation will decide if Farage breached declaration rules. Reform’s spokesperson reiterated that the party will not seek a deal with the Conservatives, while Labour monitors internal leadership dynamics after Makerfield, as of now, currently.

The Guardian