Angela Rayner's blast at 'fascist oligarchs': Hypocrisy row as she attacks Reform donors... but defends union millions

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 17:03 EDT, 14 September 2026 | Updated: 17:28 EDT, 14 September 2026 Angela Rayner has been accused of 'hyperventilating hypocrisy' after she criticised mega donations to Reform UK but defended the millions that Labour is given by its trade union paymasters.In an extraordinary intervention, on Monday the Communities Secretary vowed to 'defend our democracy' against 'fascist oligarchs' donating to Nigel Farage's party.Crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne stunned the political establishment after announcing at the weekend that they would each give Reform £36million – the biggest ever single donations to a British political party.Downing Street has now confirmed that the Government is set to change the law on donations retrospectively, potentially forcing Reform to hand back the money. Ministers have also indicated they could cap all future donations.In a speech at the Trades Union Congress conference in Brighton, Ms Rayner said the two mega donations to Reform 'could not be more different' from the millions handed to Labour each year by the big unions. They have given the party about £150million since 2010.Reform accused Labour of hypocrisy and suggested that it could move to ban union donations in the future if Labour tries to block its own donors.Its Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick accused Ms Rayner of a 'deranged rant' and said Reform was prepared to go 'all the way to the Supreme Court' or even the European Court of Human Rights to fight any move to bring in retrospective legislation.Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'You've now got a hyperventilating hypocrisy from the socialists ruining this country, who are trying to change the rules retrospectively, which is not the fair way, it's not the British way. Angela Rayner has vowed to 'defend our democracy' against 'fascist oligarchs' donating to Nigel Farage's party - despite defending the millions Labour is given by its trade union paymasters'And I think most people will say, 'Does that just mean that Labour are terrified of the progress of Reform and they're trying to create an unlevel playing field?'.'Mr Delo and Mr Harborne are British citizens but have spent much of their careers overseas.Under legislation going through Parliament, donations made by people living abroad will be capped at £100,000 a year. In a highly unusual move, No10 confirmed that the law will be backdated to March 25, when the idea of a cap was first floated by a Government review.Returning donors will have to wait one calendar year before they can exceed the new cap.Reform's leader Nigel Farage said any attempt to change the law retrospectively would 'make us look like an old communist country'.Opening a debate in the House of Lords on political donations, Government minister Baroness Taylor said: 'We must put politics back under public control. We have shared concern of the rise of big money in our politics and its ability to dominate public power.'Union bosses have opposed a cap for years, fearing that their influence over Labour could be diluted. But the TUC conference is expected to back calls for a cap on Tuesday. However, union chiefs will argue that their donations should be exempt as they were funded by small levies paid by workers.Ms Rayner told the conference that union cash 'couldn't be more different from a couple of offshore billionaires trying to buy our democracy'. She added: 'Let me be clear: we will defend our democracy and society from any foreign dictator or fascist oligarch who seeks to divide our country and buy our politics.'Labour sources said Ms Rayner's comments were not directed at any particular individual.Mr Farage said neither Mr Harborne nor Mr Delo would be offered seats in the House of Lords or change the party's policies. He contrasted this with Labour, where the Government had moved swiftly to meet union demands on workers' rights.'If anyone is giving money to do political bidding, it is the trade unions,' he said. 'I would just warn the trade unions and the Labour Party that if you try to ban our donors, we in government would certainly ban yours. But I don't want to go down that route.'