Former Neighbours star Holly Valance has helped Nigel Farage’s Reform UK raise £1.5m within days of his return as leader, according to reports.
The news will add to Rishi Sunak’s woes after one poll put the Tories just a single point ahead of Reform. Big donors are understood to be reluctant to fund the Conservative campaign, while Tory MPs complain a snap election did not allow them enough time to build up their warchests.
Reform UK Membership Grows
Meanwhile, Reform’s numbers has been boosted by thousands of new members and pledges from large donors.
The donations are thought to include a “substantial” cheque from the pop singer and actor Ms Valance, a party supporter who is married to the property developer Nick Candy, the Guardian reports. She also recently hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump.
The party had previously relied on £1.4m of loans from its former leader Richard Tice, who stood aside to allow Mr Farage to become leader, in a shock move.
New members pay £25 to join and according to party sources close to 14,000 have signed up over the past seven days, pushing overall membership numbers to 45,000.
Another high-profile supporter is Charlie Mullins, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, who has previously given more than £70,000 to the Tories.
Last month Mr Tice warned it would not be easy for his party to run an effective ground campaign at the election with the money it had. Reform UK was spending “less than £1.5m a year”, compared to the £35m each party is allowed at this election, a higher figure than in previous years.
Reform’s predecessor party, the Brexit party, brought in £17m in donations in 2019.
A poll by YouGov earlier this week put Reform just a point behind the Conservatives, who had fallen to 18 per cent.
The Tories are braced for the possibility that in the coming days a poll could show Reform ahead, pushing the Conservatives into third, in what would be a significant moment in an already disastrous election campaign.