"Harborne, who has donated 12m to Reform UK, has links to two charter planes that flew Farage to the Maldives and, separately, a group of Chagossian campaigners to Sri Lanka, before they attempted to reach the archipelago by boat. The Thailand-based cryptocurrency and aviation investor did not reply to requests for comment about whether he owns the planes that facilitated the stunt."
"Farage said he undertook the trip to highlight the plight of the Chagossians, whose families were removed from the islands in the 1960s and are seeking to return. He also opposes the UK government's decision to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius to comply with international law while continuing to lease the base from them."
"The disclosure underlines the importance of Harborne, one of the biggest donors in British political history, to Farage's operation. It emerged this week that he donated a further 3m to Reform in the last quarter of 2025 after a record 9m gift last summer."
Nigel Farage attempted to reach the Chagos Islands military base on a private jet apparently connected to Christopher Harborne, Reform UK's largest donor who has given £12 million to the party, with an additional £3 million donated in late 2025. Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency and aviation investor, has links to charter planes that transported Farage to the Maldives and separately flew Chagossian campaigners to Sri Lanka before their boat attempt to reach the archipelago. Farage's expedition failed as he could not access the military base without UK government permission. He stated the trip aimed to highlight the Chagossians' plight, as their families were removed from the islands in the 1960s. The venture generated political attention for Reform regarding the Chagos Islands controversy, though private jets of that size typically cost over £10,000 hourly. Harborne's substantial donations raise transparency concerns in British politics.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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