Michael Farmer

Michael Farmer is a multi-millionaire hedge funder. 
He is a major donor to the Conservative Party and former Party treasurer. Michael Farmer appointed as new Co-Treasurer, Conservative Party News, February 6 2012, acc 13 March 2012 Louise Armitstead, Michael Farmer: the man known as Mr Copper is glad to give his brass to the Tories, The Telegraph, 07 Mar 2010, acc 13 March 2012 
He is also a staunch Brexiteer who has supported the campaign to take the UK out of the EU.
==Political influence in the UK==
===Conservative Party donor===
Farmer has been a major donor to the Conservative Party since 2001. As such, he is a member of The Leader's Group, the premier Conservative Party supporter group. Through an annual membership fee of £50,000 donors are able to secure access to leading members of the party.
He was made co-treasurer of the Party in March 2012.
===Christian conservatism===
Farmer, who took up Bible studies for two years not long after he sold his business to Enron, says his motivation for funding the Tories was based on his belief that the Tories under David Cameron would be a better government for the country than Labour were. Labour, he says, 'governed incredibly badly'. 
:"The tax and benefits structures put in place under Labour have not created a strong society, they've done the opposite. They've just encouraged unhappy lives. The core unit of society – husband, wife, parents, children – have been dismantled. Ed Balls has suggested that the idea of 'family' is Victorian. Give me a break. Families have been around forever, all around the world. This isn't Victorian, this is how society works best. Labour's idea of a family is three people who share a fridge." 
:"I met Cameron around 2006 and we spoke about importance of the family," says Farmer. "I suppose you can be cynical about politicians but I felt his response was genuine and I have felt the same ever since." 
Farmer also donated £2,000 to Philippa Stroud's unsuccessful campaign to become Tory MP for Sutton & Cheam. Previously head of the influential Christian-orientated think tank the Centre for Social Justice, Stroud became special adviser to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith who set up the Centre for Social Justice. Jamie Doward, Secret Christian donors bankroll Tories, The Observer, 2 May 2010, acc 13 March 2012 She is now director of the Legatum Institute.
===Brexit supporter===
Farmer is a Brexit supporter and donated £300,000 to the Vote Leave campaign to take the UK out of the EU. He said Brexit would be a "bright new beginning" for Britain. 
===Opposing voting reform===
Farmer donated £100,000 to the successful ‘No to AV’ campaign in 2011, which opposed replacing the UK's first-past-the-postvoting with a fairer 'alternative voting' system. 
==Business interests==
Farmer founded RK Capital Management whose main fund, Red Kite, is one of the biggest industrial metals hedge funds in the world. Dubbed "Mr Copper", Farmer is often responsible for shipping around 15pc to 20pc of China's copper supplies. 
==Donations==
Recorded by the Electoral Commission: For an up-to-date list of donations by Peter Cruddas, search the Electoral Commission website:Donor Search, Electoral Commission, accessed 25 May 2016
Date
Name of donor
Amount
Donated to
Subsidiary (parties only)
15/05/2001
Michael S Farmer
£10,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
09/05/2002
Michael Farmer
£10,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
03/12/2004
Michael Farmer
£10,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
09/03/2006
Michael Farmer
£50,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
27/04/2006
Michael Farmer
£50,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
02/08/2006
Michael Farmer
£40,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
19/12/2006
Michael Farmer
£500,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
23/07/2007
Michael Farmer
£130,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
09/11/2007
Michael Farmer
£279,750.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
22/04/2008
Michael Farmer
£150,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
05/09/2008
Michael Farmer
£27,648.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
05/09/2008
Michael Farmer
£27,648.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
04/07/2008
Michael Farmer
£36,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
02/10/2008
Michael Farmer
£150,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
13/01/2009
Michael Farmer
£150,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
03/04/2009
Michael Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
Central Party
13/05/2009
Michael Farmer
£2,000.00
Philippa Stroud
21/04/2009
Michael Farmer
£252,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
05/08/2009
Michael Farmer
£252,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
20/10/2009
Michael Farmer
£274,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
30/03/2010
Michael Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
26/02/2010
Michael S Farmer
£325,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
06/05/2010
Michael S Farmer
£4,300.00
Conservative Party
Arfon
17/06/2010
Michael S Farmer
£258,500.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
18/08/2010
Michael S Farmer
£76,600.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
10/11/2010
Michael S Farmer
£83,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
15/02/2011
Michael S Farmer
£82,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
19/05/2011
Michael S Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
30/09/2011
Michael S Farmer
£18,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
29/03/2011
Michael Farmer
£100,000.00
No Campaign Limited
16/12/2011
Michael Farmer
£80,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
	
12/04/2012
Michael Farmer
£76,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
09/03/2012
Michael S Farmer
£183,950.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
05/04/2011
Michael Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
28/05/2012
Michael S Farmer
£512,450.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
27/09/2012
Michael S Farmer
£525,560.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
16/01/2013
Michael Farmer
£2,000.00
Mary MacLeod MP
14/12/2012
Michael S Farmer
£13,998.42
Conservative Party
Central Party
14/12/2012
Michael S Farmer
£23,700.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
08/03/2013
Michael S Farmer
£4,334.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
08/03/2013
Michael S Farmer
£250,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
30/04/2013
Michael Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
Central Party
27/06/2013
Michael S Farmer
£280,770.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
08/08/2013
Michael S Farmer
£250,000.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
10/12/2013
Michael Farmer
£25,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
13/11/2013
Michael S Farmer
£267,200.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
24/03/2014
Michael Farmer
£75,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
13/02/2014
Michael S Farmer
£257,500.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
02/06/2014
Michael S Farmer
£333,500.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
22/09/2014
Michael S Farmer
£296,400.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
22/09/2014
Michael S Farmer
£6,579.60
Conservative Party
Central Party
03/11/2014
Michael Farmer
£25,000.00
Conservative Christian Fellowship
18/12/2014
Lord Michael S Farmer
£10,000.00
Conservative Party
Chippenham
18/12/2014
Lord Michael S Farmer
£25,000.00
Conservative Party
Kensington
18/12/2014
Lord Michael S Farmer
£5,000.00
Conservative Party
Exeter
18/12/2014
Lord Michael S Farmer
£286,500.00
Conservative Party
Central Party
23/03/2016 
Lord Michael S Farmer 
£200,000.00 
Vote Leave 
 
Electoral Commission, Donation Search, accessed 12 May 2016
 Electoral Commission, Donation Search, accessed 2 March 2015 
==Resources==
*Holly Watt, The Tory Leader's Group donor club: 'A chance for like-minded people to talk' Guardian, 4 May 2015, accessed 5 May 2015.
==Notes==
Farmer, MichaelFarmer, MichaelFarmer, Michael Farmer, Michael Farmer, MichaelCategory:Brexit ‘leave’ donorCategory:NOtoAV