What political finance changes are coming in?Back in 2015 we published Deal or No Deal which looked at public attitudes to political finance following the failed cross-party talks on implementing the Committee on Standards in Public Life recommendations, including a cap...Posted 29 Jul 2026
Two individuals account for a third of all political donations in latest releaseThis week the Electoral Commission released data on political donations received in the first quarter of 2026, revealing exactly why we need a full donations cap. Of the £20.8 million of private donations received in the first three months of this year, £7...Posted 04 Jun 2026
Former Prime Minister John Major questions the ‘validity’ of First Past the PostThere has been a significant intervention in the debate around electoral reform recently, in the guise of former Prime Minister John Major. The Conservative politician has questioned the “validity” of the First Past the Post...Posted 01 Apr 2026
Government to cap overseas donations and stop crypto donationsToday we welcomed the review by Philip Rycroft into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review rightly identifies a loss of trust in our democratic system and processes, and the importance...Posted 25 Mar 2026
Westminster’s dirty secret – what lobbying in Britain looks like and how we clean it upLobbying is a word that can be used to describe all manner of sins in Westminster. It has hit the headlines again courtesy of Peter Mandelson and his relationship to convicted paedophile Epstein. But what...Posted 12 Feb 2026
British public strongly back caps on donations to political partiesPolling published in the last few weeks reveals that the British public are worried about the influence of money in politics, with a majority wanting to see the introduction of caps on donations to political parties. A Survation poll, conducted between 9-11...Posted 13 Jan 2026
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
Minister: Put a donations cap in the Elections BillA 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
We called, they listened: Government confirms historic democratic reformsIn 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
The government are introducing a new bill to reform elections – here’s what we want to seeOne 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