📻 "Just four per cent of those lobbying government are currently identified by the lobbying register." @duncanhames.bsky.social on Next Week in Westminster, ahead of Baroness Hayter's Bill on strengthening the UK's lobbying laws. open.spotify.com/episode/3vjq...

📺Big money is corrupting UK politics. Mega donations are being used by the super rich to get power and influence, too often at the expense of the public interest. We were in Parliament today making the case that it's time for change. More below ⤵️

And if you agree, please use this site to send your MP a postcard telling them so, before the elections bill returns to Parliament: politicsnotforsale.mp.tiuk.justpost.cards

🎬THE MONEY BEHIND OUR POLITICS Big money is corrupting UK politics. And our politics is at records highs with almost £100 million was spent at the previous election. But where does all that money actually come from? More below ⤵️ www.youtube.com/shorts/gUroW...

🗣️"As his first major appointment, this is a test of whether Burnham intends to do things differently." Duncan Hames speaking with George Greenwood on why James Purnell's potential conflict of interests must be dealt with before entering No 10. More ⤵️ www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

📺 CORRUPTION, NOW STREAMING We've been busy building our video capacity to shine a new light on the corruption we're fighting. Exciting content is coming soon. Corruption is a big story though & sometimes 2 mins doesn't cut it. Follow the story. Subscribe ⤵️ www.youtube.com/@Transparenc...

💥Burnham backs public on donation caps Our polling found ⤵️ 🔹 83% of Brits believe wealthy donors use political donations to buy influence 🔹 Nearly half say they would view more favourably a party that introduced a cap & just 7% would view one less favourably. It's time to end mega donations.

🚨 🧵 1/6 NEW: Research from @transparencyuk.bsky.social finds that almost 1 in 6 members of the House of Lords holds a political advisory role in addition to their duties in parliament. www.transparency.org.uk/news/house-l...

#PoliticsNotForSale 35% of political donations now come from the ultra-wealthy. When money dominates politics, ordinary people go unheard. And that's why we need your help. Send a postcard today to tell your MP it's time to end big money corrupting our politics. Details ⤵️

🔎 NEW: Almost 1 in 6 peers holds a paid political advisory role that carries a significant lobbying risk. The House of Lords is meant to be a place of independent scrutiny — not a network of political advisers for hire. Our investigation ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/house-l...

👥PUBLIC WANT DONATIONS CAP Our new polling today shows 83% of the public think mega donors buy influence over government for their own benefit. And they want it to stop. It's time MPs listen to the voters & end the super rich corrupting our politics with their money. Results in comments ⤵

📺 MPs RESPOND TO ILLICIT FINANCE SUMMIT DELAY Corruption is an economic & national security threat. And MPs were clear: The Summit's delay can't slow action. The delay should be used to get our own house in order & lead in the global fight against corruption. Watch below ⤵️

TONIGHT 8pm | @filmhouseedinburgh.bsky.social Join us for a screening of Breaking Social + panel discussion on the cost of corruption. We'll be joined by Jamie Mann from @theferret.scot & Susannah Fitzgerald from @nrginstitute.bsky.social. Tickets ⤵️ www.filmhouse.org.uk/movie/breaki...

Douglas Alexander has apologised for late declaration of a meeting with Global Counsel - as revealed by @transparencyuk.bsky.social and the PM has accepted his apology... assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a2939...

📆Tuesday 9 June - 4:30pm - MPs debate how to make the Illicit Finance Summit a success Following the Summit's postponement, @steffanaquarone.bsky.social has secured a debate for MPs to push for real progress in the global fight against dirty money. More below ⤵️

🗣️"The lesson from this saga should be that open government in the first place serves the public better than belated dumps of data long after the event." @muteswann.bsky.social in the BBC on revelations Douglas Alexander failed to initially declare a meeting with Global Counsel. More below ⤵

61% of all political donations in the last quarter came from just 14 people Reform took in £9.3m from a handful of super rich donors British democracy is being bought. We urgently need action to take the money out of our politics

💷 BIG MONEY CORRUPTS UK DEMOCRACY The last election was the most expensive in modern British history. Too often, it's our politics that pays the price. To stop the super-rich buying UK democracy, we need a cap on all donations - and recent polling finds 92% of the public agree. More ⤵️

This Overseas Territories Day, we celebrate the relationship the UK has with its territories but also acknowledge the challenges. Secrecy in jurisdictions such as the BVI and the Cayman Islands continue to facilitate illicit finance at scale. And it comes with a serious human cost. More below ⤵️

PODCAST | The £5m question: Who funds our politicians? In our latest episode, we are joined by @duncanhames.bsky.social of @transparencyuk.bsky.social to discuss whether the current transparency regime is working and the merits of a cap on donations. www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

🪙Want to know who is lobbying politicians on behalf of the crypto industry? Our Open Access database reveals 166,000+ Westminster & Holyrood meetings with external orgs since 2012. Search by MP, company or topic. Transparency matters. Explore for yourself ⤵️ openaccess.transparency.org.uk

🗣️“The Summit should return with greater ambition and a clear willingness to address the UK’s role in facilitating dirty money flows from around the world.” @duncanhames.bsky.social responding to news that the UK’s Illicit Finance Summit has been delayed until December. More below ⤵️

🗣️ “When government transparency is treated as a tick-box exercise, or ignored altogether, this undermines our right to know how decisions are made and leaves room for undue influence." Duncan Hames speaking with Ethan Shone at openDemocracy on why the UK needs to end lobbying behind closed doors.

💷 BIG MONEY CORRUPTS UK POLITICS In 2015, £1m+ donations made up just 1% of private political donations. By 2024? They made up more than a third. Today, it was put straight to the PM: the Election's Bill doesn't go far enough. It’s well past time to cap donations & end big money in politics.

📝"There is a clear public interest in knowing who funds our politicians, and therefore who they may be indebted to when they secure positions of power." @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social writes on how Nigel Farage's failure to declare his £5m gift show the UK's political finance laws are broken. More ⤵️

Politics should not be for sale:

🗣️ "The commission has created a giant regulatory black hole that we're now proposing to fill before it does untold damage.” Steve Goodrich speaking w/ Cat Neilan on Lloyd Hatton MP from the @appgonacrt.bsky.social pushing to ensure MPs report donations received before entering Parliament. More ⬇️

🚨INQUIRY INTO £5M GIFT Transparency matters. MPs are required to declare gifts soon after entering Parliament. But no amount of paperwork fixes a political system awash with cash. As long as mega donations continue, big money will corrupt our politics. It’s time to cap donations. Read more ⤵️

🚨 NEW ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING SUPERVISION MEASURES CONFIRMED Gaps in oversight have enabled the corrupt to exploit the UK’s professional & financial services sector to launder their stolen wealth. 🕰️ Delivering these reforms as a priority is critical to strengthen the fight against dirty money

🗣️"We have never seen the number [of big donors] this small and the money this big” Duncan Hames in Al Jazeera on politics' dependence on the super rich. 📈 In fact, from 2015 > 2024, £1m+ donations grew from 1% of funding to 35%. We need a donations cap to end big money corrupting our politics.

📅 EVENT: How can we improve trust & transparency in public decision-making? 📍 2pm | 18 May OGP is an international initiative that brings government & civil society together to promote trust, and integrity. Join UKACC & Open Data Manchester for an online session to shape this work. Details ⤵️

🗣️ “Lobbying behind closed doors enables outside interests to influence our politics without public scrutiny.” Rose Zussman in The Guardian following Tom Wall's revelations of 16 previously undeclared meetings between US tech execs & a senior Starmer advidser. More below ⤵️

Today, @tbij.bsky.social launches Voices For Transparency, a photo series showing the human stories behind corporate secrecy in the UK's CDOTs. 🌏 Ahead of the Illicit Finance Summit, the UK must end offshore secrecy & lead by example in the global fight against corruption. 🔗 Full series below ⤵️

🕊️ Today is World Press Freedom Day. A free media is essential to hold power to account. Yet around the world, journalists continue to face intimidation, threats, and even death. 🗣️ We call on all governments to build a world where those that uncover corruption and injustice are safe.

The rules are very clear. MPs are required declare gifts like this soon after being elected. The election was back in July 2024. If an MP owes their personal security to a multi-million pound benefactor, you have the right to know.

It’s becoming harder to ignore the growing weight that extremely wealthy donors appear to carry in British politics, not just in scale, but in proximity to key political decisions.

🔄⌛Time to reset standards in politics⌛🔄 The ongoing Mandelson scandal shouldn't be just another political storm, but a turning point for change. The Committee on Standards in Public Life has already set out recommendations for reform that can start restoring trust in our politics. More ⤵️

💷 Big money in UK politics is growing In 2015, only 1% of private donations came from companies & individuals giving £1m+. 📈But by 2024? It surged to over 35%. It's time for MPs to show they're serious about restoring trust in politics & end political parties' dependence on the super rich.

💰DONATION CAPS NEEDED This week, Parliament heard from democracy experts scrutinising the Gov’s Election Bill. And the message was clear: big money is eroding trust in politics. Unlimited donations enable super-rich donors to buy influence and access to power. ❌It's time for MPs to stop it.

🌏The UK is hosting the International Illicit Finance Summit in June. But for it to succeed, the UK needs to get it's own house in order. Yesterday, @steffanaquarone.bsky.social highlighted how the UK needs real financial transparency to stop dirty money in our Overseas Territories. More ⤵️

❌ The Mandelson-Epstein emails again highlighted how the UK's lobbying transparency regime is woefully inadequate. Poor transparency allows well-connected individuals and companies with deep pockets to influence decisions that should be made in the public interest. More below ⤵

💥"When politicians hold stakes in the sectors they promote, promise regulatory favours to friends and openly threaten disfavoured companies, the boundary between public policy and private gain begins to dissolve." Fraser Nelson in @thetimes.com on the corruption risks of crypto. More below ⤵️

🔇END THE SILENCE Legal threats against are too often used to suppress the truth and give impunity to criminals and the corrupt. We need strong, universal Anti-SLAPP protections to end wealthy criminals abusing the UK court system to keep their crimes hidden from public view. #StopSLAPPS

💥"Politicians talk a lot about trust. But the Elections Bill will do little to tackle one of the biggest sources of distrust in British politics: the rise of big money." Peter Geoghegan is spot on. Ending big money in politics - from home & abroad - is critical to restore trust in our democracy.

🗣️“Criminals can buy from developers off-plan and in bulk, often with fewer questions asked than in the resale market, and then generate apparently legitimate rental income”. @bcowdock.bsky.social in @occrp.org on how new builds can attract criminals looking to launder their money. More below ⤵

Last chance to grab a ticket to hear us discuss what’s to be done about dirty money, in Whitehall tomorrow evening:

📅 TOMORROW Ahead of the UK's International Illicit Finance Summit in June, the National Liberal Club is hosting a panel discussion on how the UK can ensure the Summit is a success. @duncanhames.bsky.social is joining a brilliant panel, with further details and tickets in the comments below ⤵️

💷 The new £100k cap on overseas donations won't stem the flow of big money into politics — donors can simply move back to the UK. That's exactly what's happening. Only a cap on all donations will end the influence of mega donors in our politics. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Looking forward to this next week. Some tickets are still available and include a drink from the bar: