Reform takes millions from crypto billionaire pardoned by Trump

Reform UK has accepted millions in donations from a crypto billionaire who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, according to the Mirror and the Independent. The figure puts the party's funding under fresh scrutiny as it prepares for its annual conference.

The donation comes as Trump himself has weighed into British politics, warning Prime Minister Andy Burnham that Britain faces "disaster" unless it addresses immigration and energy policy. The Sun reports Trump's comments alongside a similar intervention from US Vice President JD Vance, who criticised Britain and Europe over energy security in the Strait of Hormuz. The coordination of these statements - a pardon, a donation, and a presidential warning on the same policy brief - is its own signal about alignment.

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Burnham of fiscal recklessness, claiming the government is "saying yes to every spending demand" and warning Britain will "go bankrupt" under his leadership, according to the Sun. The charge rests on the familiar ground of public spending discipline - the oldest reproach in Westminster, deployed by every opposition since the Treasury was invented. Whether the country believes it usually depends on whether the sums add up when the books open.

What to watch: Reform's conference begins shortly, where the party's funding sources and its relationship with Trump's administration will shape the coverage. The question is whether the pardon story moves voters who already know what Reform is, or whether it only moves people who were never going to vote for them anyway.