Gaining Momentum: Farage Unveils More Big-Money Former Tory Donors Defecting to His Reform Party

Long-time Conservative Party donor Sir John Hall came out in support of Nigel Farage at a rally on Thursday, the latest as Reform’s last-minute campaign to change British politics picks up steam.

North-east England property developer Sir John Hall, the former owner of Newcastle United Football Club has publicly endorsed Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party at a rally in County Durham on Thursday. The long-time political donor, who is understood to have given half a million pounds ($630,000) to the Conservatives — no small amount in the British political ecosystem —  told ITV he was coming out for Reform because he believed the party would “fight for my English rights and customs”.

He said he doesn’t join political parties but would now donate to Farage’s party, although the size of the donation has not been revealed.

Nigel Farage said on Thursday of Hosking, the son of a coal miner: “I’m delighted that joining us today, supporting us, giving us a donation after decades of publicly supporting the Conservatives. Someone who has been a phenomenal, amazing success story — indeed, role model — for people in the North East… John, thank you for coming out so publicly for us.”

Farage and Reform have been very open about the fact their party — which is now vying for second-place nationally for vote share for next week’s General Election — lacks money

While Reform emphasises most of its support comes from small-money, £25 ($30) donations from supporters, Hall is the latest in a series of big-money donors revealed by Farage in recent weeks defecting to the party from the establishment Conservatives. Earlier this week it was revealed Jeremy Hosking, a city financier known for his passionate love of British industrial history, and already a major donor to the Brexit cause, has given Reform another £125,000 ($158,000) for this election campaign.

The Financial Times relays he had previously given £2.2 million ($2.7mn) to Reform.

Last week, it was the turn of Muslim millionaire businessman Zia Yusuf, who was unveiled by Farage as having given a significant sum to the party. Yusuf sold his business to Capital One for £233 million last year and his donation was said to have been the largest of the election campaign to any party so far. He said: “My parents came here legally. When I talk to my friends they are as affronted as anyone by illegal Channel crossings, which are an affront to all hard-working British people but not least the migrants who played by the rules and came legally”.

Helping with this fundraising effort is model, pop star, and actress Holly Valance with her billionaire property developer husband Nick Candy. The pair are understood to have cut a “substantial cheque” to the Farage campaign after he returned to frontline politics a little more than three weeks ago. Valance has also been active in fundraising for the Donald Trump campaign, hosting a reception in London for U.S. citizen Republicans Overseas, reported to have raised over two million dollars in one night.

While the funding is lifeblood to a party campaign which has done much with little so far, it is far from clear whether it will be enough in time. While polling very strongly, Reform is battling against both a political system unkind to newcomers and a non-existent party structure starting from cold. Mr Farage has warned against trusting pollsters and says he believes they overestimate Labour support in many parts of the country, but nevertheless they show the party ready to break through into Westminster for the first time with 18 seats.

Such a win would not put the party in a position to change Westminster politics immediately, but as Mr Farage has repeatedly said, the election is about capturing a “bridgehead” in Westminster and then preparing for the big fight in 2029. Party insiders have made clear to Breitbart News that after this election, the new lie of the land in British politics will hopefully be enough to encourage more defections — not just of donors, but of former Members of Parliament and local councillors — to rally to the Farage flag.

This, in part, is an important part of building up a local party structure that presently doesn’t exist, and taking control of local councils to provide a grassroots support system ready to run the next election.