Long-time Conservative donor Sir John Hall pledged his support for Nigel Farage at a rally on Thursday, the latest move as the Reform Party’s last-ditch campaign to change British politics gathers momentum.
Sir John Hall, a northeast England property developer and former owner of the Newcastle United Football Club, publicly supported Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party at a rally in County Durham on Thursday. A longtime political donor, he is believed to have given the Conservative Party half a million pounds ($630,000) — no small sum in British politics. He told ITV He supported the Reformation Party because he believed they would “fight for my British rights and customs”.
He is not affiliated with any political party but said he would now donate to Mr Farage’s party, although an undisclosed amount was given.
It says a lot that someone like Sir John Hall, after decades of public support for the Conservative Party, is now backing Reform UK.
I’m very happy to have him. pic.twitter.com/KRqErLtd8l
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 27, 2024
Nigel Farage said on Thursday about Hosking, the son of a coal miner: “After decades of publicly supporting the Conservative party, I’m delighted that he has joined us today to support us and donate. He’s been a phenomenal, incredible success story for the people of the North East and just an exemplary man. Thank you, John, for coming out publicly on our behalf.”
Mr Farage and the Reform Party have been very open about the fact that the party, which is vying for the second highest national vote share in next week’s general election, is underfunded.
The Reform Party stresses that most of its support comes from small donations of around 25 pounds ($30) from its supporters, but Hall is the latest big Conservative donor to defect to the party after Farage revealed the move earlier this week. A passionate love for British industrial historyAlready a major donor to the Brexit campaign, the party has given a further 125,000 pounds ($158,000) to the Reform Party for this election campaign.
of Financial Times relay He previously donated 2.2 million pounds ($2.7 million) to the Reform Party.
Last week it was the turn of Muslim billionaire businessman Zia Yousuf, who Farage revealed had donated large sums to the party. Yousuf sold his business to Capital One last year for £233 million and his donation to this election campaign is said to be the largest ever to any political party. He said: “My parents came here legally and when I speak to my friends they are as angry as anyone about illegal crossings across the Channel. It’s an insult to all hard-working British people, not to mention the migrants who came here legally and played by the rules.”
Walk-on music and fireworks for Nigel Farage at Reform UK’s Wearside rally
With just 48 hours notice, 1,000 supporters gathered here.
Party members and members of the public paid £5 each to take part. pic.twitter.com/kFrMQu8Ao4
— Tom Sheldrick (@TomSheldrickITV) June 27, 2024
The fundraiser is being led by model, pop star and actress Holly Valance and her billionaire property developer husband Nick Candy, who are understood to have written “significant cheques” to Farage’s campaign after he returned to the political frontline just over three weeks ago. Valance has also been active in fundraising for Donald Trump’s campaign, hosting a reception in London for US citizens of Republicans overseas which reportedly raised more than $2 million in one night.
The money is a lifeline for a Reform campaign that has so far achieved much on little, but it’s unclear whether it will arrive in time. Though the polls are doing very well, Reform is battling both a political system that is unkind to newcomers and a party organization that is entirely nonexistent. Farage has warned against trusting the polls, saying he believes they overestimate Labour’s support in many areas, but the polls nevertheless show Labour poised to win 18 seats and enter Westminster for the first time.
Such a victory would not put the party in a position to immediately change Westminster politics, but as Farage has repeatedly said, the election is about securing a “bridgehead” in Westminster and preparing for a big showdown in 2029. Party sources told Breitbart News that they believe the new landscape of British politics after the election will be enough to encourage more defections, with donors as well as former MPs and local councillors rallying to Farage’s banner.
This is a key part of building local party structures where none currently exist, taking control of local councils and building grassroots support for the next elections.
Muslim businessman gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to Farage’s Reform Partyhttps://t.co/befl8GgzDx
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 19, 2024
