Reform UK leader Richard Tice has accused Labour of "trying to change rules retrospectively" after it emerged that his party had received £72m in donations. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Tice made the accusation at a press conference. He criticised Labour's attempts to introduce caps on political donations, describing the move as "trying to change rules retrospectively." The revelation that Reform UK had received £72m in donations made the issue a central topic in British political life.
At the same press conference, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said she was not surprised by Donald Trump saying on his trip to Ireland that he favoured Irish reunification.
McDonald described the United States as a longstanding ally of Ireland in the building of peace on the island. She noted America's role in the pursuit of Irish freedom, recalling that the 1916 rising was funded from America and that the Fenians' lifeblood came from the United States of America.
"So this isn't new. And if there is anything surprising, it's surprising that there is surprise that a New Yorker, that an American president, would say they see the logic, the good sense, of unity," McDonald said.
She also joked about Liverpool being "the 33rd Irish county", adding: "So we may lay claim to that."
Other commentators have argued that, in expressing support for Irish independence, Trump was just signalling his annoyance with the UK for the lack of support it has offered in his war against Iran.
However, the main theme of the press conference remained the funding of Reform UK and the debate over political donations. Richard Tice criticised Labour's actions, stressing that the £72m in donations was legal and that rules should not be applied retrospectively.
The issue has sparked a wider debate about the funding of political parties in the UK and the role of donations in election campaigns. Labour is proposing to introduce caps on political donations, but Reform UK sees the initiative as directed against it.