🚨 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...

🗣️ Today "underscores the very real danger that hostile states and their proxies pose to our democratic processes, and the relatively small amounts of money it took to gain influence within our political system." Our full statement on Nathan Gill's sentence ⤵ www.transparency.org.uk/news/105-yea...

At some point the UK's going to have to change its diplomatic stance vs. the current US presidency if its talk of protecting the rule of law is to mean anything. Imagine if the PM called for MPs and Lords to be sentenced to death for doing the same. Unhinged, authoritarian, fascist.

🗣️ "If Labour has accepted contributions for receptions without proper declaration, that’s a serious compliance failure." @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social spoke to the @financialtimes.com about the clear rules around political donations for political parties. www.ft.com/content/6fd3...

Another important piece of the COVID procurement puzzle from David Conn @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Parties offering cash for access is corrosive to democracy, reinforcing the public view that politics is a game for a wealthy elite, with little concern for those without deep pockets. Elections Bill is an opp to remove the corrupting influence of big money www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A £33.7m London mansion owned by now sanctioned Iranian banker Ali Ansari revealed by @occrp.org to add to £73m+ UK asset portfolio reported previously by @privateeyenews.bsky.social www.occrp.org/en/news/sanc...

Looks like Jersey Gov has decided to diverge from AMLD6, despite years of saying they were going to follow the EU's approach. The consultation proposes a legit interest test that differs significantly from AMLD6, and follows the more restrictive approach by the Overseas Territories.