๐
"In 2015, only 1 per cent of private donations came from companies and individuals giving ยฃ1 million or more; by 2024, this had risen to ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฑ."
New research from @rosewhiff.bsky.social & @stevejgoodrich.bsky.social on the super rich's growing influence on UK politics.
More โคต๏ธ
A few billionaires, corporations & opaque networks now dominate UK political funding.
Unless the new Elections Bill is strengthened, our democracy will remain at risk of corruption by the super rich.
Read more & take action:
taxjustice.uk/blog/how-to-...
๐ฅ Does your MP support stopping mega donations from the super rich?
๐ท With the Elections Bill having second reading today, there are already numerous MPs that want to stop big money corrupting our politics.
๐ Share this video if you want your MP to end big money corrupting our politics.
If 82% of millionaires themselves support the principle of a cap on private donations, then WHO exactly is opposing this? bsky.app/profile/tran...
๐ฅ BIG MONEY IS CORRUPTING OUR POLITICS ๐ฅ
UK politics has a big money problem ๐ท
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 โคต๏ธ
Good to see new sanctions from the UKโs Foreign Office, joining the dots between state capture dismantling democracy in Georgia and the enablers of the Kremlin internationally projected propaganda.
๐ฃ๏ธ "Any proven abuse of a senior public role for private ends, financial or otherwise, is corruption that erodes public trust in our institutions."
Read our full statement on the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
www.transparency.org.uk/news/transpa...
๐Spot on
"If โone person, one voteโ is to mean anything, we can no longer ignore how concentrated wealth can distort political influence." - Phil White, PMUK
https://lbc.pulse.ly/kneyuhnead
"It is not simply about who gains access, but how the system allows well-resourced actors to exert disproportionate influence over policy decisions."
A powerful intervention from @patmillsuk.bsky.social on why we need to stop the super-rich from buying access to power.
Read the full piece โคต๏ธ
โIt should not take a US federal investigation into a convicted sex offender to reveal how UK government policy is being shaped behind closed doors.โ Read more in my opinion piece for @transparencyuk.bsky.social about the Mandelson/Epstein emails www.transparency.org.uk/news/mandels...
Want to do something about corruption in politics, while making it harder for corrupt criminals to launder their stolen wealth? I have great news:
๐ข We're hiring! ๐
@transparencyuk.bsky.social is looking for a new Advocacy Officer to join our team. Apply now www.transparency.org.uk/who-we-are/w...
๐ฃ๏ธ"The problem isnโt just about where the money comes from, but how much can be given and what may be expected in return.โ
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.
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Indeed. A party invite for public officials, to be held in Mayfair no less, by a company that has recently been awarded a ยฃ240m public contract.
The competition would be livid - had there been any.
๐บ "Until [these issues] are really tackled... then we will just lurch from one scandal to another."
As Gordon Brown calls for a century-defining re-balancing of power and accountability, @danieljbruce.bsky.social spoke to
@channel4news.bsky.social about the need to restore trust in politics.
๐ฃ๏ธ โThere's also a danger around contracted companies being owned in the shadows by politically connected individuals"
Ben Cowdock in the new OCCRP and Finance Uncovered investigation on Companies House's ongoing fight against misleading information on its register.
๐ป "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.
๐บ"Yet again, an example of particularly those with money and wealth, often internationally, being able to get close access and privilege to those at the seat of power".
@danieljbruce.bsky.social spoke with @vinnymcav.bsky.social for @globalnews.ca on the latest Mandelson revelations.
๐๏ธ New KickBack podcast episode (Ep. 143)
@csc-barrington.bsky.social speaks with @racheldavies.bsky.social (@anticorruption.bsky.social) and Tom Shipley (CSC) to assess what the governmentโs UK Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025 prioritises, where it marks progress, and where gaps remain.
๐ป "The UK has for many years now been a real centre for laundering the world's corrupt money"
As the government launched it's new Anti-Corruption Strategy, Rachel Davies spoke to LBC News about the UK's corruption problem, what the strategy gets right and where it falls short.
Great to see @thetimes.com cover our latest report on how just a third of criminal assets frozen by UK law enforcement agencies in the fight against #dirtymoney is currently being recovered. www.thetimes.com/article/0c64...
๐ค Corruption may seem far away from our normal lives. But itโs actually in our communities, our economy, and our politics too.
๐ Itโs a whole-of-society problem that needs a whole-of-society solution.
๐ฃ๏ธThatโs what weโre calling for here at UKACC โ and we want you to join us ๐ซต
๐ REPORT ๐
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 โคต๏ธ
www.transparency.org.uk/publications...
๐ BLOG ๐
The UK Government's 2025 National Risk Assessment identified crypto assets as a growing risk to money laundering and terrorist financing
Our new explainer looks at how crypto works and potential risks it poses to political funding.
Read more โคต๏ธ
www.transparency.org.uk/news/does-cr...
Excellent news!!
๐ฅ BREAKING ๐ฅ
Scottish Government commits to anti-corruption strategy with improved transparency of trust structures (as proposed by Rhoda Grant in parliament).
This is an important commitment that will help prevent kleptocrats and oligarchs investing their ill-gotten gains in Scottishย property.
๐ฅ "Because financial secrecy in our overseas territories has real-world consequences for my constituents... and for Britain's standing in the world."
@appgonacrt.bsky.social chair, @philbrickellmp.bsky.social introduces today's debate on ending financial secrecy in Britain's Overseas Territories.
The reality is that much of the intended improvements of land ownership transparency will not be effective without reform of trust transparency and land registration. We look forward to working on an anti-corruption strategy to address these loopholes
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Secret trust structures could undermine the effective of the accountability measures in the Land Reform Bill. As Stage 3 kicks off, read moreโฆ
www.transparency.org.uk/news/researc...
NEW: ยฃ3.2 billion worth of Scottish property is held by opaque offshore structures.
This makes it impossible to identify the true owner and raises concerns that transparency loopholes could undermine the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill currently before MSPs.
www.transparency.org.uk/news/researc...
