Politics
Reform UK would lose 85% of funding under proposed £100,000 donation cap
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Reform UK would lose 85% of funding under proposed £100,000 donation cap
An analysis by Friends of the Earth has found that Reform UK would have lost 85% of its donations if a proposed £100,000 cap had been in force last year.
- The analysis, using Electoral Commission data, calculated that Reform UK would have raised £4.1 million instead of £26.7 million between April 2025 and March 2026 under the cap.
- Labour MP Stella Creasy is expected to table an amendment to the representation of the people bill introducing a £100,000 limit on political donations from permitted donors.
- A Reform UK spokesperson said the proposal would "restrict political participation while entrenching the established parties" and called suggestions that donations from successful individuals are less valid than trade union funding "absurd".
- The GMB union has told its affiliated Labour MPs not to vote for the cap, and party whips have urged MPs to follow this warning.
What happened since
UK PM delays bill on political donations amid mega-donor concerns
Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paused the Representation of the People Bill, which was due for its third reading, to allow his new administration to shape the legislation.
- Burnham delayed the bill's third reading, which was due on July 14, to allow his new administration to shape the legislation.
- The Guardian reported that Christopher Harborne donated £9m to Reform UK in 2025, the largest single donation by a living donor to a British party.
- Steve Goodrich, head of research at Transparency International, said the rise in mega-donations encourages parties to listen to wealthy people over voters.
- MPs Stella Creasy and Alex Sobel have proposed capping donations at £100,000 and £1m, respectively.
Topicselectionsdonation-capreform-partyelectoral-systemlabour-partydonationselectoral-commissionfriends-of-the-earthtrade-unionsstella-creasyparty-fundingrepresentationlegal-amendmentparliamentconservativesgmb-union
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