Let me start by saying I have great faith in the British public. I do not think the British public can be bought or easily swayed; they will decide at the next election who should govern the country.
Having said that, I fully recognise concerns about donations to political parties whether by individuals, businesses or indeed trade unions; giving large sums of money to political parties is assumed by many to be an attempt to procure influence. While the decision to accept donations in the first instance is a matter for political parties, it is vital for the public’s trust in our democratic processes there is transparency around donations. It is also crucial our democracy is not subject to subversive foreign influences.
There is currently no upper limit on the amount of donations a political party can receive from a permissible source. There is a long-standing principle that permissible donors are those on the UK electoral register and was recommended by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1998. It means that registered British expatriates, who already have the right to vote in UK Parliamentary elections, have the right to make a donation. This is upheld by a framework of laws and established standards enforced by the Electoral Commission, the independent body that regulates political finance in the UK.
So, anyone can give a donation or loan to a political party, individual or other organisation, but whether and how these can be accepted is governed by strict Electoral Commission rules. When a donation or loan is received, parties must record the information, check the source is permissible, confirm that it meets the requirements, and report it to the Electoral Commission if applicable. For example, if a donation or loan comes from an individual who is not registered on the UK Electoral Register, this does not count as a permissible donation.
Any party that receives a donation that is not from a permissible donor must return this donation within 30 days. Parties that do not comply may be subject to civil sanctions and the party and treasurer responsible may also have committed criminal offences.
Parties also have to report donations to the Electoral Commission if they total over £11,180 from the same source in a calendar year. Donations over £2,230 from the same source above this initial £11,180 in the same calendar year must also be reported. The Electoral Commission makes these donations public on its website. Donations that are not permissible must also be reported. If political parties, campaigners, members associations, or elected officials such as MPs break the rules surrounding political donations, the Electoral Commission will investigate and can take action under its enforcement policy. Where a breach involves a criminal offence, the Electoral Commission pass investigations on to the police or the relevant prosecuting authority to take further action.
Anyone convicted of corrupt or illegal electoral practices is disqualified from standing as an MP for five years. MPs are bound by the House of Commons Code of Conduct and expected to uphold the highest standards of propriety, which includes avoiding any financial dependence on foreign donors. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority also oversees MPs to ensure they are compliant with these requirements.
So, UK electoral law ensures that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can donate or campaign. As I said earlier, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 places a legal obligation upon political parties to ensure they only receive donations from permissible sources. To take this further, the last Government brought forward the Elections Act 2022 which restricts third-party campaigning to UK-based groups and eligible overseas electors so that only those with legitimate interests in UK elections can spend to campaign at UK elections.
In July 2025 this Government announced their Elections Strategy, which was followed by a Ministerial Statement in December 2025 and the publication of the Representation of the People Bill. The Government announced at both points that it will strengthen rules on donations, including shell companies and unincorporated associations, as well as proposing to introduce additional requirements for company owners to reduce the risk of a foreign entity using a company to make political donations. There are already clear rules in place that state that for a donation to be permissible it must be from a UK-registered company which is incorporated in the UK and carries on business in the UK; this also applies to trade unions. If a donation is over a certain amount, it must be published transparently, this is to avoid any question of impropriety. Bribery itself is a clearly defined offence in law and is governed by the Bribery Act 2010. That legislation set the international gold standard for anti-bribery and corruption laws and provides clear legal definitions of bribery.
While I do welcome work to make the safety and integrity of our democracy stronger, I am deeply disappointed though, sadly, not surprised that this Labour Government chose not to consult political parties on the strategy's contents prior to the strategies release. This goes against the longstanding convention that the Government consults with other political parties on any changes to political finance laws, to ensure they are not made to their own partisan advantage.
It is vital that effective safeguards on the integrity of our political system are upheld and I shall continue to hold the Government to account on their plans to protect our democracy
With regard to protecting our democracy, I would like to finish by saying how important to distinguish between strongly felt political debate on the one hand, and unacceptable acts of abuse, intimidation and violence on the other. British democracy has always been robust and oppositional, but there can never be an excuse to shout down democratic process or to seek social change through force rather than the force of argument. I believe this principle is absolutely central to Britain’s success as a democracy and we abuse this system at our peril.
It is vital that we as MPs are able to respond to the public honestly on the complex challenges facing our society, however difficult or unpalatable they may be. We must take effective action to improve people’s lives, so that those who seek to exploit public concern, from whichever side of the political spectrum, cannot use people’s worries to serve their own ends.
