Tice says government wants to 'retrospectively change rules' after Reform's £72m donations

Live Reporting Edited by Owen Amos and Angus Thompson Donations rule change would show how 'terrified' government is of Reform UK, Tice says published at 07:32 BST Richard Tice tells BBC Breakfast the government is trying to protect itself from "a bit of competition" by changing the law around who can donate to political parties. The deputy leader of Reform UK says he believes the party has done everything "completely in accordance" with the law. He added it would show how "terrified" the government was of his party "if they completely change the way that we understand things are done in the United Kingdom and that they retrospectively introduce legislation in order to significantly disadvantage another political party that's merely trying to get on a level playing field".

He says the two donors behind the £72m Reform received are "very successful entrepreneurs" who are trying to "save the country from going bust". "[The government is] trying to literally change the rules to suit their own narrative any day of the week at the drop of a hat and that's not the fair way, it's not the British way," he says. Reform's Tice says government trying to 'retrospectively change rules' ahead of donations debate published at 07:22 BST Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice says the government is trying to "retrospectively change the rules" on political donations ahead of a debate later today in the House of Lords.

This weekend, the party announced £72m in donations from two billionaires in 24 hours, days before a bill that could introduce a £100,000 cap on donations from British voters living abroad returns to Parliament. The huge donations, worth £36m each, came from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, who are both British and have spent time living overseas. "Everything has been done completely within the rules," Tice tells BBC Breakfast.

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said the rule changes would apply retrospectively and anyone not complying with them would have "to return that money". We'll have more from Tice, and reaction from elsewhere, shortly.

Source: BBC