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We need a donation cap, but how much should it be?

In the UK today, there is still no legal limit on how much a single donor can give to a political party each year. That simple fact shapes our politics in profound ways. When unlimited...

Posted 04 Dec 2025

Political parties shouldnt be personal vehicles for views of the super-rich

Minister: Put a donations cap in the Elections Bill

A million pounds here, a few hundred thousand there. Life-changing sums for most of us. Yet in the world of political finance, these are the figures some individuals can casually drop into party coffers. It...

Posted 19 Nov 2025

in a healthy democracy, no one should be able to buy a louder voice

We called, they listened: Government confirms historic democratic reforms

In a statement to parliament today, the democracy minister set out the changes the government plans to make in the forthcoming elections bill. Last week we set out what we hoped to see in the...

Posted 17 Jul 2025

we are going to see some hugely positive steps towards improving our democracy

The government are introducing a new bill to reform elections – here’s what we want to see

One year on from the General Election and we are eagerly awaiting the government’s Elections Bill, expected to be tabled in the next session of this parliament. The bill is likely to contain measures, promised...

Posted 03 Jul 2025

Is there a limit to political donations in the UK?

Political parties cost money to run. In the UK, they’re funded by a variety of sources, including membership fees, grants, and donations. Donations come from individuals, companies, and trade unions. The Electoral Commission reported that...

Posted 04 Jun 2025

If the Government wants to ensure that we, the voters, trust our democratic institutions, it needs to start with ending the reign of big donors

Rebuilding trust in politics starts with repairing the rules on funding

Earlier this month the Electoral Commission heads appeared before a House of Commons select committee with stark warnings about the dangers of failing to address the problems with political finance. Commenting on the existing rules...

Posted 25 Feb 2025

What are the political donation rules in the UK?

This week the Observer spoke to our director of research, Jess Garland, about the inadequate rules surrounding party funding in Britain. As Jess told them: “the concern is that if the current rules aren’t updated,...

Posted 04 Dec 2024

Freebies are just the tip of the Iceberg when it comes to money in politics

The recent cacophony surrounding ‘freebies’ given by Labour party donors to Labour MPs since 2019 is just the latest in a long stream of financial scandals coming out of Westminster. It’s not just an issue...

Posted 09 Oct 2024

Party donors aren’t necessarily giving these gifts out of the goodness of their hearts

How big donors fund our political parties

In July 2024, at a time when candidates were still fighting for their seats, we reported on donations made to political parties during the first 3 weeks of campaigning for the 2024 general election. Now...

Posted 13 Aug 2024

Over the years the landscape of UK part financing has been shifting.

First three weeks of donation data show that money is attracted to power

From the dissolution of Parliament through to polling day, political parties are legally required to report any large sums of money they receive in donations. Within the first three weeks of campaigning for the upcoming...

Posted 03 Jul 2024