❌ 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 ⤵
Did you catch Newsnight this week? This from @elliechowns.bsky.social is on the money:
🗣️“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 ⤵
🎥 10 years ago, the Panama Papers exposed corruption to the world.
It uncovered billions of suspect funds moving through the global economy and how corrupt elites were hiding their stolen wealth.
Since then, progress has been made but the flow of dirty money remains.
🔗Full link in comments ⤵️
🗣️“You name a jurisdiction where people have earned a lot of money through questionable means, it ends up in London property”.
@stevejgoodrich.bsky.social speaking with the @wsj.com on the extensive London property holdings linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
More ⤵️
💷 DONATION CAPS NEEDED
Mega donations buy influence, honours, and access to power. It erodes public trust and empowers the super rich.
Off the back of the Rycroft Review & the Elections Bill, MPs are becoming louder on the threat this poses to our politics.
⏱️ It's time to put an end to it.
In recommending a welcome £100,000 cap on donations from British overseas voters, Rycroft states ‘these individuals have the opportunity to make potentially game-changing donations’
The same applies to wealthy donors still resident in the UK. A universal cap is needed.
#UKPolitics
🔴 Labour has announced a moratorium on political donations in cryptocurrency and a cap on donations from Britons living abroad.
But if we don't think foreign oligarchs should buy our politics, shouldn't stop the domestic super rich too?
New by me:
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/has-labour...
🚨Gov announces a moratorium on crypto donations and donation caps on overseas voters
These are two positive steps for our democracy.
But as Steve Goodrich highlights, "big money from a UK-based mega-donor poses the same risk to the integrity of our politics as from one based overseas".
More ⤵️
As news slips out from the independent Rycroft Review of foreign financial interference in UK politics, I told Politics Home how - without a donations cap - we are trying to secure the house while the door is left wide open:
📈The share of private political donations from individuals and companies giving £1m+ has surged from just 1% in 2015 to 35% in 2024.
That's a 35x increase in under a decade and fuels corruption risks and foreign interference in UK politics.
💷 It's time to end the era of big money in UK politics.
📅 NEXT WEEK
At next week's @oecd-ocde.bsky.social Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum, we're looking forward to convening discussions on illicit finance & hosting an event on integrity in EU defence policy (details below).
📧If you're attending, please reach out to connect
#OECDIntegrity
📺 Donation caps needed to protect our politics
Yesterday @duncanhames.bsky.social made the case to Parliament on why it's time for a donation cap.
Watch below to hear how donation caps are widely used globally and would not stop political parties campaigning effectively ⤵️
Parliament's Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy calls for an immediate ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties & a new central police unit for Political Finance Enforcement.
committees.parliament.uk/committee/11...
#AntiCorruption #UKPolitics
📆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.
Colleagues and I question the merits of yet another review of shortcomings in UK government lobbying & transparency arrangements.
As @duncanhames.bsky.social told @politico.eu: ‘Ministers already have a blueprint for reform’.
www.politico.eu/newsletter/p...
#AntiCorruption #Lobbying
🎬THE MONEY BEHIND OUR POLITICS
Almost £100 million was spent at the previous election, but where does all that money actually come from?
Watch @rosewhiff.bsky.social answer this question and explain why it is such a threat to our democracy.
More below ⤵️
Iran’s political leaders have invested heavily in UK real estate in recent years. Lawyers, estate agents and banks should have formed our first line of defence against illicit wealth arriving here, but it appears to have been breached repeatedly.
📺 "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 ⤵
High-profile arrests by the UK’s (relatively) new Domestic Corruption Unit at City of London Police.
#AntiCorruption
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
🚨 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.
Now is the time to fix UK politics’ pernicious big money problem…
Later today, MPs will debate the UK Government's planned reforms to elections and campaign financing. Lots to welcome, but there is an elephant in the room. We are calling for a cap on donations to take big money's influence our of our politics. See our briefing, and please do share:
🆕
"In 2015, only 1 per cent of private donations came from companies and individuals giving £1 million or more; by 2024, this had risen to 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱."
New research from @rosewhiff.bsky.social & @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social on the super rich's growing influence on UK politics.
More ⤵️
*Love* this video from @transparencyuk.bsky.social - what a compelling case for taking big money out of politics.
And who is that devilishly handsome Irish chap talking such sense in Parliament half way through 🤣
🎥 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 ⤵️
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.
Successive UK governments have avoided taking bold measures that are sorely needed to rebuild trust in politics.
In this febrile moment of scrutiny of various failures in public standards, surely now would be a good time to act.
www.transparency.org.uk/news/when-co...
#AntiCorruption #UKPolitics
