📽️ NEW 📽️ Does the UK have a dark money problem? Should we be worried? As our Senior Research Officer, @rosewhiff.bsky.social explains - the public have a right to be concerned about the grip of dark money on our politics.

📺 "It is probably the biggest misspending scandal in the UK of all time." A ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review from The Guardian for last night's The Covid Contracts documentary featuring commentary and analysis from our Chief Executive, @danieljbruce.bsky.social. Now available on ITVX ⤵️ www.itv.com/watch/the-co...

Russell's being very modest here, he's also just written THE book on the VIP lane. Available now russellscott.substack.com/p/new-book-o...

Owner of Georgian broadcaster called country’s ‘propaganda megaphone’ is based in London

Great to see UK coverage of what's happening in Georgia. I remember how the Rose revolution 20yrs ago got so much airtime and print space, yet now almost nothing as it slides into authoritarianism and further into Russia's orbit. Needs more attention. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

🚨TV tonight: an essential record of the Covid contracts scandal An investigation into the extent of greed and deception in PPE provision. 🎥More detail on our ITV documentary here 👇 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Interesting new insights on A7A5 and Russian sanctions evasion from Tom Rowley www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publicati...

Exclusive: Peter Mandelson is facing calls for a standards investigation over a possible breach of parliamentary rules Comes amid ongoing questions about whether the Labour peer should remain a member of the House of Lords 👇 observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Exc: Reform Party sponsors appear to have broken company law Crypto firm Zebec's Companies House listing cites a BVI-registered holding company as its ultimate owner, in an apparent breach of the rules observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Given the PM likes football, I'll put it this way. Mandelson has scored a hat trick of OGs for successive Labour governments. Surely this had got to be last time he's selected to be on the first team?

📻 "No Prime Minister is under any obligation to follow the advice that they're given." Following Angela Rayner's resignation @danieljbruce.bsky.social went on LBC News made the case for stronger rules and independent oversight of ministerial standards in government.

Electoral law is crystal clear that parties and politicians can only accept donations from permissible sources, and recipients must verify the source of funds. Credible allegations of rule breaking should be investigated. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

🚨NEW Our blueprint to end financial secrecy in UK offshore centres is out today. New guidelines provide five standards for meaningful beneficial ownership registers - from protecting investigators to ensuring broad access for journalists & civil society. www.transparency.org.uk/publications...

For those interested in #beneficialownership transparency, @transparencyuk.bsky.social have published new guidelines on how to provide effective access to this data, building on previous standards from FATF, @openownership.bsky.social, the EU and UK www.transparency.org.uk/sites/defaul...

Local reporting is a bulwark against abuse of office yet it is chronically underfunded and overstretched. Boycotting the Nottingham Post to avoid scrutiny is a dangerous precedent for the UK. Copying Trump's playbook undermines free speech, a Great British liberty www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

🗣️ “The public have a right to know how much time MPs spend on second jobs, and how much they’re paid.” @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social warned @catneilan.bsky.social that MPs must be transparent about outside payments to distinguish real deals from disguised donations. observer.co.uk/news/politic...

🚨 Another example of why the "revolving door" system is broken. Until we have proper rules with teeth, these conflicts of interest will continue to undermine public trust. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

If I had a pound for every housing minister in the last ten years...

Great to see CSPL call-out the UK Gov for allowing ministers to continue meddling in the affairs of the Electoral Commission www.theguardian.com/politics/liv... We @transparencyuk.bsky.social agree there's no place for gov interference in this parliamentary body. Labour agreed too in last parl...

If I had a pound for every cash for access story over the years, I might just be able to afford to pay and meet 'key policymakers' myself. When will parties and orgs linked to them learn this is never a good look, and damaging for confidence in our increasingly fragile democracy.

🆕 BLOG 🆕 Up to £10 billion could be laundered through UK property each year, according to the latest government risk assessment. From opaque trusts to crypto schemes, criminals are finding new ways to hide dirty money. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/authori...

Today, the Government released their long-awaited Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections. Out experts outline some of the key provisions in the White Paper and talk through what’s missing ⬇️

Good point from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social about potential unintended consequences of gov's proposals for electoral reform re: imprints. Could have a real chilling effect before elections. Needs a rethink!

Here’s the full rundown from @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social of all the reform measures announced today on political campaign finance, and also the ones that were missing:

My take on the government's elections strategy, published yesterday. Lots of reasons to be cheerful but they've left a big elephant in the room - the corrupting influence of big money in politics - which goes untouched and unrecognised www.transparency.org.uk/news/protect...

🗣️ "Crackdown on foreign donations welcome, but bolder action needed to end corrupting influence of big money." See our full statement on the government's new elections strategy published today ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/crackdo...

Total spend (party and candidates) 2010-2024, Con v Lab. NB. not incl. joint candidates yet. Big switch in 2024. Might explain lack of changes to spending limits + donation caps in statement just now from minister Rushanara Ali in Parl.

BREAKING: @electoralcommission.org.uk confirm 2024 UK general election was most expensive in recent history. Thanks to new national campaign spending limits, Labour's 'air war' cost £30m (excl staff costs), while the Tories' lagged behind with £23m search.electoralcommission.org.uk/Search/Spend...

🆕 BLOG 🆕 Did you know the UK's electoral watchdog can only fine parties up to £20,000 - even for serious breaches? Our new explainer reveals why current enforcement is failing to deter rule-breaking and what reforms are urgently needed. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/how-our...

Rupert Lowe is under investigation by the standards commissioner, after crowdfunding c £620k without registering it The crowdfunder includes several four figure sums from anonymous donors, and some that appear to come from foreign sources @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Is this why the MoD thinks the Aquind project is a national security concern? www.compliancecorylated.com/news/the-nep...

No wonder the new build housing market looks as if it's being dominated by a cartel - it is!

🎥 The BVI's failure to meet the deadline on accessible corporate registers sends a "terrible message." Good to see David Lammy commit to further work on ensuring Britain's overseas territories take action to tackle illicit finance at this week's Foreign Affairs Committee.

🔍 We’ve just added 5,500+ new meetings to our Open Access database of Westminster and Holyrood meetings with external organisations. Check out the new data here⤵️ openaccess.transparency.org.uk

🚨 NEW 🚨 Billions of pounds of dirty money have been laundered through shell companies in the UK Overseas Territories, such as the BVI. This impacts national security and worsens global poverty. As David Lammy faces the Foreign Affairs Committee today, see why it's time for urgent action ⤵️

Quick reminder: despite only having a population of c5,000, Montserrat has a working, pretty decent and public company beneficial ownership register cipo.fsc.ms/beneficial_o... Shame the BVI is undermining Montserrat's sterling efforts 🙄 cipo.fsc.ms/companies/44...

Here's a nice and cringey video of me trying to explain what the heck is going on in the UK's offshore financial centres & what the Government should do about it. 🕵️‍♀️💵🌴

🚨 ⏰ ❌ Last night, the British Virgin Islands failed to meet its own deadline for opening up its corporate registers. 🖋️ ✉️ So our Chair @joepowell.bsky.social led a group of MPs in sending a letter to the BVI Premier this morning. This follows a letter we sent 5 months ago. 1/2

Important investigation from Harry Yorke @thetimes.com into alleged lobbying by former minister and current MP, George Freeman www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... Very timely given Parl's standards committee is doing an inquiry on second jobs committees.parliament.uk/committee/29...

“The public think big money buys influence in politics…. You can't protect UK democracy without tackling its corrosive big donor culture.” @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social @transparencyuk.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/reform-uk-... #UKPolitics

Incredible impact from the investigation led by @bcowdock.bsky.social, @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social and the @theguardian.com, which identified millions worth of properties owned by allies of the former Bangladeshi PM. The NCA has now frozen most of these. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

🆕 BLOG 🆕 It's estimated £11 billion was stolen from Bangladesh during Sheikh Hasina's rule. As interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus visits London, Britain must freeze stolen assets and return their missing wealth. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/returni...

🔴Nigel Farage and Nick Candy promised to turn Reform UK into a fundraising juggernaut There was talk of $100m donations and securing £40m from mega-donors But new Electoral Commission data tells very different story Latest by me on Democracy for Sale🧵 democracyforsale.substack.com/p/reform-uk-...

🚨OFFSHORE FINANCE KLAXON🚨 ICYMI 💵Bank of Asia (BVI) Limited📉 How it started (2018) www.bankasia.com/en/eagerly-a... How it's going (2025) www.bvifsc.vg/news/press-r... BVI Gov had at least $5m of public funds in the bank at the time of its demise www.bvibeacon.com/govt-had-5m-... One to watch

Former ACOBA chair Eric Pickles to give evidence to PACAC on "How effective is ACOBA?" next Tuesday committees.parliament.uk/event/24431/... (answers on the back of a postage stamp)

📽️This week we brought together the @appgfairelections.bsky.social and @appgfairelections.bsky.social with @lisasmartmp.bsky.social, @catneilan.bsky.social and Baroness Hodge to discuss the how we can stopping US-style oligarchy in the UK through political finance reform. See what they had to say ⤵️

81% of UK millionaires surveyed by @patmillsuk.bsky.social think extreme wealth buys political influence We @transparencyuk.bsky.social agree. Big money is corroding our democracy. Time to stop it. Elections Bill is opp to do so. Our ideas for change 👇 www.transparency.org.uk/publications...

🗣️ "When there's nothing left to buy, what is it that money can't buy? Well, it turns out that money can buy politics, and that's what they've set out to do." In Parliament last night @duncanhames.bsky.social set out why we must stop billionaires like Elon Musk buying power in our politics.

The British Virgin Islands' Financial Services Commission announces a series of forums during June and July to engage with stakeholders on access to beneficial ownership information following widespread criticism of their legitimate interest access plans www.bvifsc.vg/news/press-r...

Delaying tactics from the tobacco industry with help from Lord Vaizey, who received an all expenses paid trip from Phillip Morris International to visit their facilities in Switzerland just before laying an amendment to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill www.theguardian.com/business/202...