Nigel Farage has hailed property tycoon Mr Candy’s huge £1million donation to Reform UK as a defining moment for the party — and declared: “He won’t be the last.” The post came after Mr Candy confirmed he had handed over the seven-figure sum, fulfilling a promise he made last year.
Posting on X, Mr Farage, the party’s leader and also the MP for Clacton, said: “Nick Candy might be the first to donate £1m to Reform, but he won’t be the last.” The 51-year-old billionaire developer, best known for his ultra-luxury London projects and his high-profile marriage to — and recent separation from — pop star and actress Holly Valance, said the donation was just the start of a major fundraising drive for the insurgent party.
Now serving as Reform UK’s honorary treasurer, Mr Candy insists he is putting his wealth to work for what he calls the country’s future.
He told The Times: “I see it as an investment in UK plc. I truly believe that the only chance of saving our country is for Reform to come to power. I can’t ask others to donate money without leading by example.”
Mr Candy has pledged to raise between £25 million and £40 million for Reform before the next general election, setting an interim target of £10 million by next year’s local elections.
So far, the party has raised just over £3 million since the last election, compared to the Conservatives’ £9 million — a gap he insists will close rapidly as more donors come forward.
He insisted that he was unfazed by critics — including some within Reform — who had accused him of being “all talk and no trousers” before his donation landed.
He said: “I have two young girls, 11 and eight. I love this country and I want them to grow up here. But so many people are leaving — Monaco, Milan, the UAE, even America. The wealth drain terrifies me.”
A long-time Conservative supporter before switching allegiance last December, Mr Candy first met Mr Farage a decade ago while on holiday in Montenegro. The two became close friends, and he now praises the Reform leader’s political instincts and ability to connect with voters.
He said: “He feels the heartbeat of the nation. He understands why people are angry and what change they want to see.”
Mr Candy’s growing influence has made him a central figure in Reform’s efforts to woo disillusioned Tory donors. He believes younger generations of wealthy families are turning towards Reform, referring to them as “the Reformistas”.
Mr Candy, whose fortune was built through developments such as One Hyde Park, said he remains committed to his ambitious targets. He explained: “I believe we will raise more money than any other party.”
An Electoral Commission spokeswoman said Reform UK has so far reported a total of £500,000 of donations made by Nicholas Candy.
Parties have until October 30 to report any donations made between July 2025 and September 2025, and until January 30 2026 for any donations made between October 2025 and December 2025.
All reported donations made to political parties can be found on the Commission’s political finance database.
