With @guyshrubsole.bsky.social on this one. Just capping overseas voter donations is logically inconsistent and ultimately flawed. Doesn't help from an anti-corruption perspective if you can still have UK residents buying priveleged political access, inluence or honours. There's an open goal here...

The public want to stop the super wealthy buying our democracy, yet the gov only capping donations from overseas voters won't address voters concerns. There should be a limit on how much anyone can give to parties and politicians annually, not just those abroad. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

For several months, people have been wondering why Reform hasn't declared any crypto donations, despite Nigel Farage saying they'd received some Now @theobserveruk.bsky.social can reveal why...

Companies House to strike off Zedxion Exchange after an OCCRP investigation found the firm used a stock-photo model to hide its links to sanctioned Iranian tycoon Babak Zanjani. www.occrp.org/en/news/uk-t...

John Major coming out in favour of donation caps. Over to you Starmer 👀

📆TODAY This afternoon, @duncanhames.bsky.social will give evidence to Parliament on why the Representation of the Peoples Bill needs stronger measures to stop big money corrupting democracy. 🎥Watch to hear why ending mega donations is needed for the Gov' to really restore trust in politics.

NEW DATA from Electoral Commission shows that in Q4 2025 almost 1/4 £££ parties received from private sources came from Chris Harborne (£3m), the man also behind the largest donation ever from a living person (£9m). UK has a big money problem. Solutions👇 www.transparency.org.uk/publications...

📺 "𝙋𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙣'𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙑𝙄." Steff Aquarone MP from the @appgonacrt.bsky.social on the British Overseas Territories enabling the flow of dirty money. Ending offshore secrecy is critical to stopping Russian influence. More ⤵

🚨 𝗔 𝗪𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 🚨 Four years after the independence of the Electoral Commission was curtailed, the Government has listened & will end Ministers' ability to influence our elections watchdog. 🎉 This is a significant & welcome step in protecting our elections from interference.

🎥 Does your MP support stopping mega donations from the super rich? 💷 With the Elections Bill having second reading today, there are already numerous MPs that want to stop big money corrupting our politics. 🔄 Share this video if you want your MP to end big money corrupting our politics.

It's an open secret that wealthy buys access, influence and honours in politics. Labour pledged to protect democracy by strengthening the rules on political donations. They should do this by: ✅ending the arms race in election spending ✅capping political donations ✅increasing transparency 👇

Babak Zanjani, an Iranian financier sanctioned for providing financial backing for the Iranian regime, was running two U.K.-based cryptocurrency exchanges even while still formally subject to a death sentence in Iran.

Good to see new sanctions from the UK’s Foreign Office, joining the dots between state capture dismantling democracy in Georgia and the enablers of the Kremlin internationally projected propaganda.

🎥 BIG MONEY IS CORRUPTING OUR POLITICS 🎥 UK politics has a big money problem 💷 The super-rich use money to buy honours, influence and access to power. It erodes trust in our politics and undermines our democracy. The UK needs a cap on donations to end big money in our politics. More below ⤵️

Wise words from @timdurrant.bsky.social, as ever. Explains why leaked WhatsApp from Simons says he won't be found to have breached ministerial code - it didn't apply to him at the time the activities occurred. Possibly parallels with the Louise Haigh situation?

Constitutionally Labour Together isn't part of Labour BUT the reason why it has to report donations to the Electoral Commission is because it's wholly or mainly made of Labour people trying to influence the party. Schedule 7 PPERA if you want the details www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/4...

Want to do something about corruption in politics, while making it harder for corrupt criminals to launder their stolen wealth? I have great news: 📢 We're hiring! 🎉 @transparencyuk.bsky.social is looking for a new Advocacy Officer to join our team. Apply now www.transparency.org.uk/who-we-are/w...

🎦 MONEY TALKS 🎦 Yesterday, the Government introduced a bill aiming to stop foreign money influencing British elections. The problem, though, isn't where the super-rich are from, but that money - from here and abroad - can buy access to power and influence. More from @duncanhames.bsky.social ⤵️

🆕 BLOG The new law to safeguard our democracy does little to address a longstanding and ever-present threat. As the new elections bill is published, @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social argues that more must be done to tackle the influence of money in politics. www.transparency.org.uk/news/governm...

My quick take on the elections bill, published today, and what's missing www.transparency.org.uk/news/governm...

🗣️"The problem isn’t just about where the money comes from, but how much can be given and what may be expected in return.” Rose Zussman spoke with Max Kendix at The Times on how the Government's new proposed laws won't stop a small group of mega-rich UK donors influencing our politics. More ⤵️

Revealed: Corporate donations to British politics have tripled from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @lucasamin.bsky.social with my thoughts on what this all means 👇 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-c...

“The UK government must demonstrate that it is serious about restoring integrity… remove big money from politics, delivering genuinely open government, and ending the cronyism that undermines public trust in our institutions.” Says @danieljbruce.bsky.social of @transparencyuk.bsky.social

🗣️"This persistent decline is not a temporary blip - it risks becoming a defining feature of our political culture" As the UK receives it's lowest ever score in #CPI2025 @danieljbruce.bsky.social warns that business as usual is not enough to turn the corner. ➡️ transparency.org/en/cpi/2025

UK and US sink to new lows in global index of corruption www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

🗣️ "The proposals for the Elections Bill are missing the gigantic elephant in the room, the scale of money in UK politics that’s corroding our democracy". Steve Goodrich spoke w/ Alice at the International Bar Association on how HMG's plans for the Elections Bill don't meet the moment. More ⤵️

📻"What we're dealing with is the abuse of power." Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown on the need for reform to restore integrity to UK politics.

Who owns UK companies that were awarded millions in Uzbek phblic contracts? Surely not a UK accountants mum... Comments from @philbrickellmp.bsky.social @bcowdock.bsky.social Tymon Kiepe @openownership.bsky.social + me www.financeuncovered.org/stories/more... www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

"The case is now unanswerable for comprehensive and immediate action to clean up our politics with new rules for politicians and public servants, as well as powerful new institutions and checks to enforce them." Gordon Brown in @theguardian.com 👇 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

🆕"Buried within the Mandelson case are uncomfortable but unavoidable questions about the proximity of wealth and power." Duncan Hames in PoliticsHome on why we owe it to the victims of this story to challenge the power structuresthat meant their abusers thought they could carry on with impunity.

🆕"Mr Mandelson is a symptom and not the cause of the current rot and reform must go beyond just removing titles." Head of Research & Investigations, @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social, on what needs to be done to save the UK’s battered reputation for good governance.

To save the UK’s battered reputation for good governance, the government needs to go big on political reform www.transparency.org.uk/news/save-uk... From me @transparencyuk.bsky.social

You can kick Mandelson out of the Lords but he'll still retain his title unless you change the law www.theguardian.com/politics/202... On withdrawing titles and more ideas re: tackling corruption in the Lords here ➡️ www.transparency.org.uk/sites/defaul...

A government spokesperson said 'we're doing lots of things that won't actually solve the issue identified in this report by the BBC' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Arden aren't the only ones offering access for cash. It's Derek Draper (RIP) all over again, but no-one seems to blink or blush.

When a government publishes an inquiry report just before xmas day, you know they're trying to bury bad news... www.transparency.org.uk/news/grossly...

Quick update for anyone paying attention, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar is [checks notes] threatening to sue the statutory inquiry, which found he had tried to intervene in live police investigation to help his friend and associate www.gbc.gi/news/cm-cons...

How much should one person be able to give to a political party? While the UK currently has no limit on political donations, new polling shows that the public’s view is that status quo needs to change. Read more from @jonnarcross.bsky.social www.transparency.org.uk/news/latest-...

Full report here coircomp.gi/wp-content/u...

An example of the inquiry's findings: the Chief Minister advising lawyers for a criminal suspect on how to retrieve evidence to thwart the police investigation [into the hacking of Gibraltar's national security system...] Completely normal behaviour 🤔

Can see why Government of Gibraltar chose to release the inquiry's report today...

Great timing. Something to read over a mince pie www.gbc.gi/news/mcgrail...

“It’s clear there are a range of actors seeking to buy influence in our democracy, including foreign governments, and for relatively small amounts of money,” Rose Zussman of @transparencyuk.bsky.social points out www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Congrats to Specialist Journalism winners @petergeoghegan.bsky.social Jenna Corderoy and Lucas Amin of Democracy for Sale #BJA2025

'...with plans being considered for the creation of Britain’s FBI...' I thought that was supposed to the NCA? 🤔 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Some quick initial thoughts on allegation that Farage broke local spending limits at 2024 election www.theguardian.com/politics/202... A reminder that local limits are covered by the RPA 1983, with offences all criminal only. See s.76 RPA 1983 www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2...

The Anti-Corruption Strategy shows real ambition on kleptocrats and professional enablers. But the UK can't fight dirty money abroad while big money corrupts our politics at home - no donation caps, no spending limits, unenforced revolving door. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/uk-anti...

A Thailand-based crypto investor has handed a record-breaking £9 million to Reform UK, shortly before Nigel Farage used media interviews to plug his crypto firm and promise lower taxes and deregulation on the industry bylinetimes.com/2025/12/04/c...

My chart of the day. c90% of Reform's donation haul between July and September 2025 came from just one person, and it wasn't even Elon Musk. Probably timely to re-up this from @transparencyuk.bsky.social in December 2024 www.transparency.org.uk/publications... Time to take big money out of politics

This record-breaking donation shows how dependent our parties have become on a super-rich few. It reinforces the belief that money talks loudest in the corridors of power. The Government promised to protect democracy. It's time to introduce a cap on political donations. www.ft.com/content/db73...

🆕 REPORT 🆕 As leaders meet for the Joint Ministerial Council today, our new analysis shows the UK's offshore financial centres are not delivering on corporate transparency commitments. Behind the promises, very little has changed. Find out more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/publications...