Closed petition: Tighten the rules on political donations
Closed on
We want the government to:
Remove loopholes that allow wealthy foreign individuals to make donations into UK political parties (e.g. by funnelling through UK registered companies).
Cap all donations to a reasonable amount.
Review limits on the fines that can be levied for breaking the rules
We think that ultra-rich individuals or foreign state actors should not be able to use their money to give unfair advantage to a political party in order to further their own agenda.
144,783 signatures
Petition progress
View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.
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Related activity
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Petition closed
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Parliament debated this petition
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Parliament will debate this petition on 31 March 2025
You’ll be able to watch online on the UK Parliament YouTube channel.
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Government responded to this petition
The Government is committed to protecting our democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties and is currently developing proposals to give effect to this commitment.
Read the response in full
The UK has a strong political finance framework which makes it clear that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can make political donations. Foreign donations are not permitted, with the exception of donations from certain Irish sources to Northern Irish political parties. This recognises the special place of Ireland in the political life and culture of Northern Ireland and is consistent with the principles set out in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Accepting or facilitating an illegitimate foreign donation is rightly a criminal offence.
While it is clear that foreign donations to political parties and other campaigners are illegal, the Government recognises the continued risk posed by actors who seek to interfere with and undermine our democratic processes. We do not think the current rules are strong enough. That is why we made the commitment in our manifesto to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties.
There are currently no plans to put a cap on donations. Political parties play a vital role in our democracy, and it is important that they are able to fundraise effectively and communicate with the electorate. By law it is already the responsibility of political parties to take all reasonable steps to verify the identity of a donor and whether they are permissible. The Government will take any necessary steps to ensure those requirements are tightened and abided by.
The Electoral Commission plays an important role in the UK’s democratic system as the regulator of political finance. Robust regulation and enforcement of political finance rules are crucial for promoting public confidence in democratic processes, ensuring their integrity, and combatting the threat of foreign interference. As part of delivering on our commitment to strengthen the rules around political donations, we are also reviewing whether any changes are required to the role and powers of the regulator to ensure enforcement provides a clear deterrent against breaking the law whilst remaining proportionate.
The Government is currently developing proposals to give effect to these commitments and will introduce legislative measures in due course. In doing so, we are carefully considering evidence from a range of stakeholders, including recommendations from parliamentary committees and the Electoral Commission.
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
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This petition will be considered for debate in Parliament
This petition got more than 100,000 signatures meaning the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate in Parliament.
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Government will respond to this petition
This petition got more than 10,000 signatures meaning that government will respond to it.
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Petition published
This petition can now be signed.
If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.
If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
This petition will stay open until 22 July 2025.