Sir John Hall: Major Tory donor and former Newcastle United owner defects to Reform UK | Politics News
A Conservative donor who gave more than £500,000 to the party has defected to Reform UK.
Sir John Hall, former Newcastle United owner, joined Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at an election rally in Durham on Thursday to announce his support for the party.
Mr Farage said the miner’s son, who helped fund Theresa May’s 2017 election bid, had given Reform UK a donation, but did not confirm how much.
Sir John Hall with Nigel Farage. Pic:
He thanked Sir John “for coming out so publicly for us” and said the property developer was a “major success story, a role model”.
The 91 year old has donated more than £500,000 to the Conservative Party and helped fund Mrs May’s 2017 snap general election.
In May 2017, he gave £25,000 to the Conservative Party but in February 2018 he expressed disapproval over Mrs May’s “indecisiveness” about Brexit and her lack of domestic policies.
Sir John’s company was behind the construction of the MetroCentre shopping mall in Gateshead in the 1980s.
He bought Woolsington Hall, northwest of Newcastle where he has several developments, including a football academy and a luxury hotel with golf course.
Sir John also owns Wynyard Park, a large 19th Century country house in County Durham he spent £4m on to restore and is now a special event venue with an additional 800 properties that Sir John built.
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