🗣️"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

Some quick thoughts on Q1 2026 donations data from @electoralcommission.org.uk 🧵 HEADLINE STATS Total: £20.7m (excl. public funds) Biggest recipient: Reform £9.3m Biggest donor: Ben Delo £4m to Reform Donors giving £1m+: £9.2m (44%) from 3 donors Donors giving £250k+: £12.7m (61%) from 14 donors

💷 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 ⤵️

Former UK technology secretary Peter Kyle agreed to include “more positive language about artificial intelligence” in a speech last year on the advice of Lord Peter Mandelson, co-founder of an advisory firm that worked for OpenAI and Palantir www.ft.com/content/1b3e...

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...

Often we get asked 'why does corruption matter? Isn't it just a Westminster storm in a teacup?' Tell that to these residents of Corby www.common-wealth.org/interactive/... #CleanUpWestminster www.instagram.com/reel/DYmdypj...

💷 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.

The £5 million question: why Britain's political donation rules are broken www.transparency.org.uk/news/ps5-mil...

We're #Hiring! We're looking for an entrepreneurial leader to relaunch and build the next phase of the UK Democracy Network. 👉 UK Democracy Network Director £60-70K ➡️ For more information, and to apply, please see here: thepoliticsproject.org.uk/vacancies-op...

EC interpretation of the law in 2024 meant many gifts to politicians pre-dissolution fell into a regulatory black hole, which could incl. the £5m to Nigel Farage. Lloyd Hatton MP is proposing to end the confusion and make it clear they should be on the public record observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Couldn't help but notice this too.

🔴 Nigel Farage is facing questions about why he did not declare his use of a donor’s helicopter to travel around Britain for multiple Reform UK rallies over the past year. New on Democracy for Sale and @theguardian.com democracyforsale.substack.com/p/farage-fac...

🗣️ “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 ⤵️

A £1m donation cap will not help solve the UK's big money problem, or get much thanks from the public - of which the majority want a cap of £50,000 or less. Surely Parliament can do better than this? www.politicshome.com/news/article...

💰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.

🚨JOB ALERT (AGAIN)🚨 Same role as below but we've had to restart the process because too many applicants were using AI generated answers, leaving us little to assess their capabilities with. Sincere apologies to all those who didn't use AI the first time round app.beapplied.com/apply/qksyzc...

Why beneficial ownership transparency is so important for investigative journalism and securing justice, from @occrp.org www.occrp.org/en/feature/h...

🚨JOB ALERT🚨 @transparencyuk.bsky.social are recruiting a Research and Investigations Officer to support our work on corruption in the UK. Wanna campaign to take big💰out of politics, ⬆️transparency over lobbying🤝, and raise standards in public life😇? Apply here👉 app.beapplied.com/apply/w5otgo...

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.