Duncan Hames

Revealed: Corporate donations to British politics have tripled Influential Labour committee chairs call on government to clean up politics as our new analysis finds record £42 million in company donations ahead of last election

🔴 Exclusive: Corporate donations British parties tripled over last three elections

But here's key thing: almost none is from FTSE500/listed companies

It's almost all companies controlled by super-wealthy individuals, or small, opaque firms

New on D4S: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/revealed-c...

They haven’t heard you yet.
Please add your voice you this call:

While we go about stoppping foreign billionnaires buying-up politics, how about we stop anyone from doing it?

Bill to lower voting age to 16 to be introduced in Parliament The government wants 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote at the next general election.

New law also aims to stop foreign billionaires buying up politics…

Quite astonishing that a businessman as successful as he, can publicly wade into a policy debate with such a poor grasp of the facts. The inflammatory rhetoric is just as ill-judged.

Be assured, I spend 360 days a year trying to make these very points. Allow me just one week to also ride on this welcome interest in the index our colleagues in Berlin publish?

Of all the many disappointments of the Starmer government, its failure to urgently overhaul the funding regulations of our political system is the one that upsets me most.

If we lose the integrity of our political system, that's it, we're done.

Public faith in politics is now in the gutter. Here’s how Labour should drag it out | Polly Toynbee With Britain sliding down the index of transparency and voters angry, the looming election bill fails to confront the real issues, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

"TI’s report show £48.2m from donors alleged or proven to have bought access and/or honours. The draft new bill (so far) only tinkers, tightening up on foreign donations... Crucially, there is no cap on donations." explains @pollytoynbee.bsky.social today.
"Don’t let this scandal go to waste."

When people say things have been on the slide for a while, this visualisaiton from @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social really shows why:

Indeed. A party invite for public officials, to be held in Mayfair no less, by a company that has recently been awarded a £240m public contract.
The competition would be livid - had there been any.

UK and US sink to new lows in global index of corruption Countries’ drop in scores in annual table comes amid ‘worrying trend’ of backsliding in established democracies

“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 Countries’ drop in scores in annual table comes amid ‘worrying trend’ of backsliding in established democracies

“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

Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 The Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ranks 182 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. Find out the scores and read our analysis.

The annual Corruption Perceptions Index is now out. Far from turning things around the UK score has fallen further.
www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2025

Out tomorrow: We scored 182 countries on their perceived level of corruption in the public sector. How will your country measure up? #CPI2025

Ghislaine Maxwell pleads fifth: Read lawyer's statement to House Oversight Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the Fifth before the House Oversight Committee, with her attorney pointing to a pending habeas petition and trial concerns.

A dark day for accountability.
Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer Congress’ questions about the men she helped traffic and abuse. And now her lawyers hint she’ll talk only if Donald Trump grants clemency.
Justice isn’t a transaction. Release the remaining Epstein files. No more secrets.

Protecting democracy The UK government has proposed legislation to close loopholes in political finance rules and prevent the influx of dirty money and undue foreign influence.

🗣️ "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 ⤵️

Starmer’s promised ethics commission may repackage existing regulators Government sources say ‘umbrella’ structure now more likely after plans for independent body found to be too complex

Labour promised an Ethics and Integirty Commission - first championed by Angela Rayner - but so far in government they've barely changed the nameplate on the door. Now would be a good time to commit to more substantive reform:

Is six months long enough to win him a peerage? Lord Doyle managed it on a little less than nine months.

Quote from Morgan McSweeney's resignation letter reads: "Secondly, while I did not oversee the due diligence and vetting process, I believe that process must now be fundamentally overhauled. This cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard for the future."

Apparently the PM will make a statement about standards and vetting this afternoon.
Perhaps appoint diplomats as ambassadors in future, and not commercial lobbyists swinging through the revolving door to and from their list of private clients.

Starmer in ‘serious’ situation amid Mandelson scandal, says Gordon Brown Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that Sir Keir Starmer is in a 'serious' situation due to the fallout from his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.

Catch @danieljbruce.bsky.social of @transparencyuk.bsky.social here on Channel 4 News last night, outlining the areas where Starmer should deliver substantive reforms to politics after the scandal surrounding Peter Mandelson: www.channel4.com/news/starmer...

We owe it to Epstein’s victims and to British democracy to demand historic change | Gordon Brown The abuse of women by figures such as Epstein, and of political power by the likes of Mandelson, must be confronted. As far as I am able, I will play my part, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brow...

💥"Nothing less than a century-defining rebalancing of power and accountability is equal to this moment and the trauma of the victims."

A significant intervention from former PM Gordon Brown on why the Epstein-Mandelson revelations demand a fundamental cleaning up of UK politics.

More ⤵️

We owe it to Epstein’s victims and to British democracy to demand historic change | Gordon Brown The abuse of women by figures such as Epstein, and of political power by the likes of Mandelson, must be confronted. As far as I am able, I will play my part, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brow...

“Nothing less than a century-defining rebalancing of power and accountability is equal to this moment and the trauma of the victims.” - Gordon Brown is on a mission:

We must deal a corrupt system, not just a person who abused it MPs must match their justified outrage over Peter Mandelson with meaningful action to break the link between wealth, power, and access.

'We must deal with a corrupt system, not just a person who abused it' @duncanhames.bsky.social, @transparencyuk.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

#UKPolitics #AntiCorruption

📻 "This whole saga will reinforce public concerns that those with money also have privileged access to power and use that in their own interests."

Earlier today @duncanhames.bsky.social told @lbc.co.uk how the Mandelson scandal shows action is needed on money and influence in our politics.

LISTEN:

Nick Butler, the No 10 adviser whose confidential email to then PM Gordon Brown was forwarded by Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein, tells R4’s PM ‘Peter has let us all down and he should be ashamed of what he’s done’

Take Big Money Out of Our Politics British politics is awash with money from super rich donors. In 2023, two-thirds of all private donations came from just 19 people. These so-called ‘mega donors’ enjoy privileged access to political p...

It’s time to get big money OUT of our politics for good. Add your name now: 38d.gs/BanBigMoney_...

Churchwarden linked to foreign-born billionaire is behind £200k Reform gift The man whose firm made the donations will not discuss where the money came from, nor his ties to wealthy Farage allies who may not hold citizenship

The Sunday Times' Gabriel Pogrund has been trying to shed some light on this business with an investigation that connects it to the Iranian-born son of a billionaire formerly from the Soviet Union:

Design Firm That Donated £200,000 to Reform UK Owed £218,000 in Tax Authorities threatened to close down Interior Architecture Landscape due to unpaid taxes. The design firm still managed to make a major donation to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. The firm said the do...

Just how did a firm that HMRC attempted to wind-up last year for unpaid tax debts, and Companies House twice recently sought to get struck off, manage to find £200k to give to a UK political party? www.occrp.org/en/news/desi...

Respect for Darling 'digging-in' here when confronting this campagin of threats from 'bond vigilantes'. Familiar as he was with their script, I wonder if he had any ideas who might have written it for them...