Government pledge on mega-donors welcomed

Responding to commitments made by Minister of State Florence Eshalomi MP during today’s debate on the Representation of the People Bill, Duncan Hames, Director of Policy at Transparency International UK, said:

“We welcome the Government’s recognition that the growing influence of mega-donors here in the UK needs to be addressed, and its commitment to work at pace to find a solution.

“Big money is playing an increasingly dominant role in our politics, with parties becoming more reliant on a small number of extremely wealthy backers. This problem will not fix itself – a meaningful cap on donations is urgently needed.

“The Government should now match its words with action and put that safeguard in place well ahead of the next general election.”