A major Conservative donor has defected to Reform UK, giving Nigel Farage’s party a pledge of £1m to “bring this country back to its glory”.
Bassim Haidar has been one of the biggest financial backers of the Tories in recent times, and gave the party more than £700,000 under Rishi Sunak’s leadership.
He resigned as a Tory member last year, believing the party had “lost its way”.
Haidar, who made his money in technology, told The Telegraph that Farage could become the next Prime Minister and believed his financial backing could help other wealthy individuals do the same.
He has already given Reform more than £200,000 ahead of next week’s local elections.
Haidar said: “I’ve always been pro-business and I always supported parties that supported businesses. The Conservative Party stopped listening and, for me, I had to go with the party that I believe can actually reset and change the status quo in the UK.