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Crypto lobbyist donated £500k to Conservatives before UK’s ‘crypto hub’ move

The timing of the contribution from Brexiteer and Tory donor Christopher Harborne fell close to the government's sudden push into crypto

By David Wighton
The Conservative Party said that there was no connection between Harborne's donation and the government's backing of crypto
The Conservative Party said that there was no connection between Harborne's donation and the government's backing of crypto Photo: Getty Images

The Conservative Party received a £500,000 donation from a British crypto investor two months before the government pledged to make the UK “the very best place in the world” to build crypto businesses.

Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based businessman, made the payment on 9 February.

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